Academic Facilities and Services - Graduate

Adams Library

The James P. Adams Library provides:

• Access to information in print and online.
• Reference services in person and through use of several icons, such as  “Text Us” and “CHAT” on the library homepage.
• One-on-one research consultation.
• Public computers for use throughout the building.  
• Laptops, iPads, Nexus 7 tablets, external hard drives and graphing and business calculators for loan.

 

The library collection today includes 313,597 eBooks, 56,868 journals in electronic format and 123 databases, all of which are accessible both on and off campus. Print holdings include 324,419 items and 1,556 periodicals. The library also has a collection of technical reports, newspapers and government publications, a DVD collection of films and documentaries, a variety of music CDs and a rotating collection of popular fiction and non-fiction books for recreational reading.

Your RIC ID is your library card. During the 2017-18 academic year, 18,294 items from the library’s collection were circulated.

Library faculty collaborate with college faculty to create library instruction for specific courses focused on the discovery, use and evaluation of library resources and information on the web. The library provided 156 library instruction sessions which were attended by 2,496 students during the 2017-18 academic year. These sessions are conducted by the reference librarians, who also answer about 6,347 reference questions a year.

The library’s participation in the Higher Education Library Information Network (HELIN) allows the RIC community to borrow from academic libraries throughout the state with a click of a button in the online catalog. Users can request items not available in the HELIN consortium through the library’s Document Delivery Service. During the 2017-18 academic year the RIC library borrowed 3,168 items from other libraries and lent 2,530 items, for a total of 5,698 items.

The College Archives, a rich depository of the history and records of Rhode Island College, as well as faculty and alumni publications and student theses, are located in the Special Collections Department. Special Collections includes a number of subject collections consisting of papers, books, manuscripts and other resources that document the state’s education, ethnic and socio-political history. A growing number of student theses and honor projects, faculty publications and Special Collections materials are also accessible electronically in the Digital Commons.

The Curriculum Resources Center, housed within the library, provides instructional material and curriculum development resources for teachers and teacher education programs.

Information about library hours, services and resources can be found on the Adams Library website at library.ric.edu.

Career Development Center

The Career Development Center serves students and alumni in the career planning and job and internship search process. The center also offers assistance with applying to graduate school, including program selection and the personal statement.

Individual counseling sessions are offered at the center, along with TypeFocus, an online system that helps students examine their values, skills and interests to reach informed decisions about a career.

Workshops and programs are offered that help students develop competitive job search skills and strategies (e.g., résumé and cover letter writing, effective interviewing, LinkedIn accounts and networking).

Many resources are available 24/7 online such as job and internship postings and information about career fields. Employers seeking full-time, permanent and part-time employees and interns are connected with students. Work-study and non-work-study jobs are also available both on and off campus.

Current students and alumni may post résumés, view jobs/internships, and access the center’s online library with RIC's career management tool, Destinations (www.ric.edu/careerdevelopment/pages/destinations.aspx)

Disability Services Center

The Disability Services Center (DSC) is the central location on campus for disability-related services for students and is committed to providing accommodations for students with disabilities and supporting them in achieving their academic goals. Students who self-identify and provide appropriate documentation of their condition to the DSC may be eligible to receive reasonable accommodations in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and analogous state laws. Support services may include classroom and testing accommodations, advisement, referrals and use of assistive technology.

The DSC serves students with all types of disabilities: mobility, hearing, vision, motor, psychological, learning (including attention disorders), speech, medical, developmental and other conditions. In addition, the DSC shall seek to assist students with temporary impairments who are in need of short-term accommodations. The DSC is also available to advise any student who needs information about how you obtain proper documentation of a disability.

The DSC promotes the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of college life, and endeavors to make students aware of the many opportunities and resources available to them at Rhode Island College. The DSC recognizes disability as a form of diversity and is the primary resource to educate, train and guide the college community in understanding disability access, rights and responsibilities. The DSC not only serves as an advocate for students with disabilities, but also encourages students toward self-advocacy and self-determination.

Clarification of policies and procedures for disability-related services is available in the Policies and Procedures Manual for Students with Disabilities. Copies of the manual are available at the Disability Services Center or on its Web site at www.ric.edu/disabilityservices. Persons using TTY/TDD devices may contact the Disabilities Services Center via the Rhode Island Relay Services by dialing 711.

Information Technology Services

The Office of Information Technology Services provides Information Technology resources to assist and educate the Rhode Island College Community. Information Technology Services supports the use of technology to promote communication, learning and access by providing services in the following areas:

• Classroom Technology
• MyRIC Portal (Student Information System)
• Office 365
• Blackboard Learning Management System
• Campus Telephones and Networking Systems

• Alger Hall
• Alex and Ani Hall
• Clarke Science Hall
• Craig-Lee Hall
• Gaige Hall
• Guardo Hall (School of Social Work)
• Fogarty Life Sciences
• Henry Barnard School
• Nazarian Center
• Whipple Hall

Our goal is to enhance the student experience. We can assist with all technology services through a single phone call to the Information Technology Services Help Center at (401) 456-8803. This one-stop shop for technology will provide support for desktop computers, laptops, phones, networking, wireless, printing, access to MyRIC, Blackboard and all other college applications, multimedia support, technology training and classroom support.

Writing Center

The Writing Center is staffed by highly qualified student tutors. Tutors work with all writers, from freshmen to graduate students, in all disciplines. Tutors assist with any phase of writing, such as refining topics, writing for a specific audience, developing ideas, organizing material, revising drafts and editing.

The Writing Center maintains a reference library of books, journals and articles on writing theory, writing for specific disciplines and other topics, including MLA, APA and Chicago style manuals. Services are free to all Rhode Island College students, faculty and staff.