Bryant University
Encyclopedia
Bryant University is a private university
located in Smithfield, Rhode Island
, U.S., that grants the degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and master's degrees in business, taxation and accounting. Until August 2004, it was known as Bryant College. Bryant comprises the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business, and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the AACSB International.
, a national school which originally taught bookkeeping and methods of business communication. In 1916, the Rhode Island branch was sold and merged with the Rhode Island Commercial School. Bryant became non-profit in 1949 and offered its first master's program in 1969. Bryant was originally located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island
, but moved to its current campus in Smithfield, Rhode Island
, when the founder of Tupperware
, Earl Silas Tupper
, a Bryant alumnus, donated the current 428 acres (1.7 km²) of land to be the new campus. The old Emin Homestead occupied much of the land that makes up the present day Smithfield campus. The land was purchased and farmed for three generations between the late 19th century and the mid-20th century. Today, many descendants of the original Emin settlers still live near the Bryant campus. The school also claims a handful of family members as alumni and offers a scholarship for accounting students as a tribute to the Emin family. Historical pictures of the Emin Homestead can still be found in the Alumni house.
Ronald K. Machtley, a former Navy captain and U.S. Representative was hired as the new president in 1996. When Machtley arrived he immediately began working with faculty, students and the Board of Trustees to ensure the future of Bryant. He announced an ambitious capital campaign and to build new facilities and upgrade old ones. Under the Machtley administration, Bryant has built a new library, athletic center, communications and IT complex, residence hall, interfaith center, upgraded all athletic fields, and completely renovated the main classroom building and the student union. The school also changed its name to Bryant University in 2004. Its selectivity has increased, and the days of budget deficits are gone. The university endowment in 2007 totaled $171 million, a net increase of $169 million in just 10 years.
In 2008, Bryant had two very special visitors. On Thursday, February 28, 2008, former U.S. President Bill Clinton
campaigned at Bryant University in support of Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. This was the first time in the school's history that either a former U.S. president or presidential candidate came to Bryant University to give a speech. Also in 2008, the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush
gave the 2008 Commencement Address on May 17, 2008. Bush received an honorary degree from the University. Within only three months of each other, Bryant had two of the only four former U.S Presidents still living come to speak on campus.
However, his wife expressed hatred for the structure which was named after her. He took this as a personal rejection, and Ladd later took his own life. The building remained unoccupied until Thomas Marsden transformed it into Hope Hospital, which was part of Bryant College. To provide more space for classes, an addition was constructed and Hope Hospital was renamed South Hall. In October 1967, Earl S. Tupper, alumnus and inventor of Tupperware, donated his 428 acres (1.7 km²) hillside estate to Bryant College for the creation of the new campus. To thank Tupper for his generous gift, Bryant named the campus after him and awarded him a second degree, an honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters. Four year later, in the fall of 1971, the campus moved to Smithfield. Prior to leaving the Hope Street campus, the wrought-iron arch at the entrance to South Hall was transported to the new campus.
Today, the archway remains the only physical link to the Providence
campus. After the archway was transferred from the old campus, students immediately began to avoid passing through this out-of-place structure. As a rumor had it, walking through the archway before graduation mysteriously jeopardized chances of graduating. Since this is quite a large price to pay for not following tradition, most students opted not to take the chance, which has resulted in worn paths around the arch. This tradition has shaped the behavior of thousands of Bryant University students on Tupper campus for the past 30 years, and has become a focal point in the legend and mystique of Bryant.
Often considered the cornerstone of the $150 million campus expansion plan is the 71000 square feet (6,596.1 m²) George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology. The college library, which was located in the Unistructure, now occupies a major portion of the Bello Center space.
The George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology was designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, a firm in New York City that has been nationally recognized for its design of the Science, Industry, & Business Library (SIBL) for the New York Public Library.
The function of the Bryant Center, as part of the educational program of the college, is to provide an atmosphere that fosters personal as well as professional growth by offering services that the college community needs. It is the unifying force of the college that integrates business education with leadership opportunities, and promotes the social and cultural development of students and other members of the college community.
The Koffler Technology Center is Bryant's computer center. More than 200 terminals, microcomputers, and workstations are located here. Facilities offer individual workstations for hands-on learning and shared workstations for group projects.
The Koffler center is also home to the universities TV and Radio stations. WJMF takes up most of the main floor, sharing space with the TV/Editing studio.
. The Center serves the regional business community, as well as offering hands on opportunities for students to learn about global business. The Chafee Center houses the World Trade Center and Export Assistance Center for the state of Rhode Island.
This quadrangle, tucked between Bryant's academic and recreational facilities, was designed to facilitate an easy flow of pedestrian traffic around campus. Hassenfeld Common is the space from which other key components of the overall campus expansion plan - The George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology, the Chace Wellness Center, and the Interfaith Center - are anchored.
On October 9, 2010, the Board of Trustees honored President Ronald K. Machtley and his wife Kati C. Machtley by dedicating the Interfaith Center in their names. Typically, naming a building after a sitting president and his wife is not a traditional step at Bryant, but the Board unanimously voted to honor the Machtley's nearly 15 years of service to the university.
Bryant's average student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1 with most classes having no more than 30 students. Bryant has also earned an ever improving reputation in recent years, and has been commended on a variety of points.
Bryant has 22 intercollegiate varsity athletics and participates in NCAA Division I as a member of the Northeast Conference
. Athletic squads are called the Bulldogs. In addition, students can compete in various club sports and on intramural teams throughout the academic year.
The school's basketball team reached the NCAA Division II Championship
Game against Virginia Union in 2005, and has not only made the NCAA Division II tournament, but made it to at least the Sweet Sixteen the past four years. The baseball team reached the Division II College World Series in 2004, and has hosted the Division II College World Series regionals.
The Football
team for the first time in school history reached the NCAA Tournament in 2006, losing in the Regionals 31-29 to West Chester University. The 2006-2007 was the best season to date in the program's short history. The following season (2007–2008) the team had an even more successful year. It won the NE-10 outright, starting the season with a seven game winning streak.
Athletics have been very successful over the past four years. Bryant Athletics won the Northeast-10 Conference's Presidents' Cup in 2004, 2005, and 2007. Bryant lost the Presidents' Cup by only one point in 2006 to Stonehill College
.
Bryant University's 22 varsity athletics are broken down into 11 athletic sports for men and 11 for women. The men's teams include baseball
, basketball
, cross country
, American football
, golf
, lacrosse
, indoor and outdoor track and field
, tennis
, soccer, and swimming and diving
. The women's teams consist of basketball
, cross country
, field hockey
, lacrosse
, indoor and outdoor track and field
, soccer, softball
, swimming and diving
, tennis
, and volleyball
.
Bryant also offers sports at the club level. They offer 20 club level sports teams, and just like varsity athletics they are broken down evenly into 10 for men and 10 for women. The men's club sports are: bowling, hockey, karate, racquetball, crew, rugby, skiing and snowboarding, ultimate frisbee, wrestling, and volleyball. The women's club sports include bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, hockey, karate, ice skating, racquetball, rugby, skiing and snowboarding, and dance.
, America East Conference
, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
and the Northeast Conference
. On Thursday, October 18, 2007, Bryant announced it would join the Northeast Conference, and will become a full member in 2012.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
, U.S., that grants the degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and master's degrees in business, taxation and accounting. Until August 2004, it was known as Bryant College. Bryant comprises the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business, and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the AACSB International.
History
Bryant University was founded in 1863 as a branch of Bryant and StrattonBryant and Stratton
Bryant & Stratton College is a for-profit college with campuses in New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Founded in 1854, the college offers two-year programs at all campuses and four-year programs at select campuses. This school began as a business institute, but now is an accredited...
, a national school which originally taught bookkeeping and methods of business communication. In 1916, the Rhode Island branch was sold and merged with the Rhode Island Commercial School. Bryant became non-profit in 1949 and offered its first master's program in 1969. Bryant was originally located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, but moved to its current campus in Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
, when the founder of Tupperware
Tupperware
Tupperware is the name of a home products line that includes preparation, storage, containment, and serving products for the kitchen and home, which were first introduced to the public in 1946....
, Earl Silas Tupper
Earl Tupper
Earl Silas Tupper was the inventor of Tupperware, an airtight plastic container for storing food.-Biography:...
, a Bryant alumnus, donated the current 428 acres (1.7 km²) of land to be the new campus. The old Emin Homestead occupied much of the land that makes up the present day Smithfield campus. The land was purchased and farmed for three generations between the late 19th century and the mid-20th century. Today, many descendants of the original Emin settlers still live near the Bryant campus. The school also claims a handful of family members as alumni and offers a scholarship for accounting students as a tribute to the Emin family. Historical pictures of the Emin Homestead can still be found in the Alumni house.
Troubled times
Bryant continued to grow after the move to Smithfield, but began to face serious problems starting in the early 1990s. Nationwide, the number of students applying to college had dropped precipitously, and Bryant was no exception. Applications and interest in the college were way down and enrollment had dropped to below 2,000 students. Three of the school's 16 dormitories sat empty; two were converted to administrative use. Although the campus was clean and well-maintained, Bryant's facilities needed upgrading. Bryant wrote its accounts with red ink throughout the early part of the decade, and at its worst, the school had a $1.7 million budget deficit.The Machtley era
In 2008, Bryant had two very special visitors. On Thursday, February 28, 2008, former U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
campaigned at Bryant University in support of Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. This was the first time in the school's history that either a former U.S. president or presidential candidate came to Bryant University to give a speech. Also in 2008, the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
gave the 2008 Commencement Address on May 17, 2008. Bush received an honorary degree from the University. Within only three months of each other, Bryant had two of the only four former U.S Presidents still living come to speak on campus.
Bryant Archway tradition
Students at Bryant have a particular way of symbolizing the completion of their education: walking through the archway. The story of the archway dates back to 1875. Isaac Gifford Ladd, an associate of Charles Schwabb and a famous U.S. steel tycoon, constructed a one million dollar building which contained the iron arch on Young Orchard Avenue on the east side of Providence. This building was meant to be a sign of his endearment to his newlywed wife.However, his wife expressed hatred for the structure which was named after her. He took this as a personal rejection, and Ladd later took his own life. The building remained unoccupied until Thomas Marsden transformed it into Hope Hospital, which was part of Bryant College. To provide more space for classes, an addition was constructed and Hope Hospital was renamed South Hall. In October 1967, Earl S. Tupper, alumnus and inventor of Tupperware, donated his 428 acres (1.7 km²) hillside estate to Bryant College for the creation of the new campus. To thank Tupper for his generous gift, Bryant named the campus after him and awarded him a second degree, an honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters. Four year later, in the fall of 1971, the campus moved to Smithfield. Prior to leaving the Hope Street campus, the wrought-iron arch at the entrance to South Hall was transported to the new campus.
Today, the archway remains the only physical link to the Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
campus. After the archway was transferred from the old campus, students immediately began to avoid passing through this out-of-place structure. As a rumor had it, walking through the archway before graduation mysteriously jeopardized chances of graduating. Since this is quite a large price to pay for not following tradition, most students opted not to take the chance, which has resulted in worn paths around the arch. This tradition has shaped the behavior of thousands of Bryant University students on Tupper campus for the past 30 years, and has become a focal point in the legend and mystique of Bryant.
Archway Seal
The Bryant Seal represents the educational mission of the university and its worldwide implications. The central symbol is an ellipsoid globe with quills on each side to signify the traditional emblem of communication in business. In the center, behind the globe, is a torch symbolizing liberty, the spirit of free inquiry, academic freedom, and learning. The Archway, forming the background for the globe, torch, and quills, is a University landmark affectionately and superstitiously by Bryant alumni. The Latin motto expresses the purpose of the University: "Cognitio. Virtus. Successus." – Which means Knowledge. Character. Success. The original Latin motto has remained unchanged and has been translated into the university's current day motto which is The Character of Success.Presidents
Ronald K. Machtley is the seventh president of Bryant University. The president is the chief executive officer of the college and is responsible for the success of the college's mission in providing superior academic programs and research.| • Theodore Stowell | 1863–1916 |
| • Henry L. Jacobs | 1916–1961 |
| • E. Gardner Jacobs | 1961–1970 |
| • Harry F. Evarts | 1970–1976 |
| • William T. O'Hara | 1976–1989 |
| • William E. Trueheart | 1989–1996 |
| • Hon. Ronald K. Machtley | 1996 – Present |
George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology
Unistructure
The Unistructure is the center of Bryant's academic activity. It currently contains nearly all classrooms, most faculty and administrative offices, and many academic resources. These include multi-platform computerized classrooms complete with Internet stations and the Language/Learning Lab.Bryant Center
Koffler Verizon Communications Complex
The Koffler center is also home to the universities TV and Radio stations. WJMF takes up most of the main floor, sharing space with the TV/Editing studio.
John H. Chafee Center for International Business
The building was named after the late Rhode Island Senator John ChafeeJohn Chafee
John Lester Hubbard Chafee was an American politician. He served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as the Secretary of the Navy, and as a United States Senator.-Early life and family:...
. The Center serves the regional business community, as well as offering hands on opportunities for students to learn about global business. The Chafee Center houses the World Trade Center and Export Assistance Center for the state of Rhode Island.
Hassenfeld Common
Suite Village
The Suite Village is a collection of fourteen residence halls with thirteen of them housing 90 students. The last and the newest, hall seventeen, houses approximately 200 students. Every suite has three double bedrooms, a living area and private bathroom with multiple stalls and showers. Each of the four floors has four suites, with each suite separated by gender.First Year Complex
In order to ease the transition into college life, first year students are housed together. These two halls – entirely reserved for first year students – are four story, co-educational halls with north and south wings.Ronald K. and Kati C. Machtley Interfaith Center
The new Interfaith Center opened at the start of the 2009-2010 academic year to replace the previous chapel in the Bryant Center. Located between the Bryant Center and the George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology, it is a 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) non-denominational place of worship and reflection for all members of the campus community. The center, designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, a firm in New York City that has been nationally recognized for its work, has received two design awards: a 2010 Honor Design Award from Faith & Form magazine/The Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture, and a Building of America Award from Construction Communications magazine for the center's use of sustainable materials.On October 9, 2010, the Board of Trustees honored President Ronald K. Machtley and his wife Kati C. Machtley by dedicating the Interfaith Center in their names. Typically, naming a building after a sitting president and his wife is not a traditional step at Bryant, but the Board unanimously voted to honor the Machtley's nearly 15 years of service to the university.
Schools and programs
Bryant University is divided into two colleges: the College of Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences with most students enrolled in a business discipline. In addition to the undergraduate program, Bryant also awards MBA degrees and Masters degrees in Taxation and Professional Accountancy.Reputation and rankings
| Bryant University Facts | |
|---|---|
| Class of 2012 Applicants | 10,732 |
| Class of 2012 Students | 1,675 |
| Class of 2012 Accepted | 45.1% |
| Average GPA | 3.35/4.00 |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1670–1910 |
| Middle 50% ACT | 26-31 |
| Graduate Students | 773 |
| Undergraduate Students | 4,210 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 16:1 |
| Majors Available | 33 |
| Minors Available | 48 |
| Faculty with Terminal Degrees | 98% |
| Retention Rate | 90% |
| Classes taught by Faculty | 100% |
Bryant's average student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1 with most classes having no more than 30 students. Bryant has also earned an ever improving reputation in recent years, and has been commended on a variety of points.
- 16th best Master's University in the North as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.
- 9th "Best Career Placement/Career Services" as ranked by The Princeton ReviewThe Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
. - #1 "Most Connected Campus" in the United States as ranked by The Princeton ReviewThe Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
. - #1 "Safest Campus in the United States" as ranked by SeventeenSeventeen (magazine)Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
. - #1 best National Co-op Placements as ranked by Fidelity InvestmentsFidelity InvestmentsFMR LLC or Fidelity Investments is an American multinational financial services corporation one of the largest mutual fund and financial services groups in the world. It was founded in 1946 and serves North American investors. Fidelity Ventures is its venture capital arm...
. - #1 "Most Attractive Campus on the East Coast" as ranked by SeventeenSeventeen (magazine)Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
. - 17th best Accounting program in the country as ranked by BusinessWeekBusinessWeekBloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
. - 23rd best Graduate Business School as ranked by The Princeton Review’sThe Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
Best 290 Business Schools. - 54th best MBA Feeder School as ranked by BusinessWeekBusinessWeekBloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
. - "Best Buy" as ranked in Barron's Best Buys in College Education.
- Listed as one of The Princeton Review'sThe Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
Top 361 Colleges. - Listed as one of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News and World Report.
- Listed as a campus technology innovator by Campus Technology Magazine.
- Member of the President's Service Honor Roll with Distinction, a national recognition.
- 98.3% of the class of 2008 was either employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.
Tuition
For the 2010-2011 academic year, Bryant's tuition is $32,616 and room and board is $13,486 which bring total costs to approximately $46,102 for the 2010-2011 academic year.Athletics
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
. Athletic squads are called the Bulldogs. In addition, students can compete in various club sports and on intramural teams throughout the academic year.
The school's basketball team reached the NCAA Division II Championship
NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship
The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship is an annual championship tournament for colleges and universities that are members of NCAA Division II, a grouping of schools in the United States that are generally smaller than the higher-profile institutions of Division I...
Game against Virginia Union in 2005, and has not only made the NCAA Division II tournament, but made it to at least the Sweet Sixteen the past four years. The baseball team reached the Division II College World Series in 2004, and has hosted the Division II College World Series regionals.
The Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team for the first time in school history reached the NCAA Tournament in 2006, losing in the Regionals 31-29 to West Chester University. The 2006-2007 was the best season to date in the program's short history. The following season (2007–2008) the team had an even more successful year. It won the NE-10 outright, starting the season with a seven game winning streak.
Athletics have been very successful over the past four years. Bryant Athletics won the Northeast-10 Conference's Presidents' Cup in 2004, 2005, and 2007. Bryant lost the Presidents' Cup by only one point in 2006 to Stonehill College
Stonehill College
Stonehill College is a private Roman Catholic college located in Easton, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1948. Situated in North Easton, Massachusetts, a suburban community of 23,329 people, Stonehill is located south of Boston on a campus, the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames...
.
Bryant University's 22 varsity athletics are broken down into 11 athletic sports for men and 11 for women. The men's teams include baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, indoor and outdoor track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, soccer, and swimming and diving
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
. The women's teams consist of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, indoor and outdoor track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, swimming and diving
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.
Bryant also offers sports at the club level. They offer 20 club level sports teams, and just like varsity athletics they are broken down evenly into 10 for men and 10 for women. The men's club sports are: bowling, hockey, karate, racquetball, crew, rugby, skiing and snowboarding, ultimate frisbee, wrestling, and volleyball. The women's club sports include bowling, cheerleading, gymnastics, hockey, karate, ice skating, racquetball, rugby, skiing and snowboarding, and dance.
Move to Division I
In the summer of 2007 the University made a public announcement that it had filed paperwork to begin the transition to Division I athletics. At that point the university was looking at four possible conferences to call home once the transition was complete: the Patriot LeaguePatriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
, America East Conference
America East Conference
The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring...
, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
and the Northeast Conference
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
. On Thursday, October 18, 2007, Bryant announced it would join the Northeast Conference, and will become a full member in 2012.
Student life
85 percent of students reside on campus, with living options ranging from traditional dormitories to suites to townhouse apartments. The university has five fraternities and two sororities, and approximately eleven percent of students belong to these organizations. A total of 76 percent of students are involved in extracurriculars, and most work in internships or co-ops before graduating.Student media
Student demographics
As of the 2007-2008 school year:- Men: 2,948
- Women: 2,134
- Male/female ratio: 1.38:1
- Black: 3%
- Hispanic: 5%
- Asian: 3%
- Native American: Less than 1%
- White: 83%
- International: 4%
- In-State Students: 14%
- Out-of-State Students: 86%
- Age twenty-one or younger: 86%
- Students residing on campus: 89%
- Retention rate: 90%
- Freshmen who graduate within four years: 64%