Bryant University Expands U.S. Campus, Global Reach

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Bryant University hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on May 15 marking the beginning of Bryant Builds, the largest and most transformative facilities initiative in the university’s history.

In the coming year, Bryant will expand its 435-acre Smithfield campus by an estimated 250,000 square feet. The university will receive a new entrance complete with integrated landscaping and a clear, welcoming point of arrival for all campus visitors, as well as a new 50,000-square-foot Academic Innovation Center. The center will foster innovative learning in a creative environment, serving students in the College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences, according to a statement.

Work will also take place on the university’s Bulldog Strength and Conditioning Center, wrapping up later this summer. A 78,000-square-foot indoor practice facility complete with a state-of-the-art indoor turf practice field will be added, and further upgrades to the existing Elizabeth and Malcolm Chace Wellness and Athletic Center will take place — including the addition of a sports medicine and training space.

“With the transformative Bryant Builds plan, we are creating the world-class learning environment that aligns with Bryant’s bold future,” said university President Ronald Machtley in a statement. “We are enhancing our academic and athletic facilities to become best in class, with innovation as a central theme in architecture and pedagogy.”

The last decade has been a period of considerable growth for the approximately 3,200-student university. The last several years have seen the addition of both the College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the school’s transition from a college to a university. Bryant also joined NCAA Division I athletics in 2013, and a year later established the School of Health Science.

In addition to growing its local infrastructure, the school also announced an overseas expansion earlier this year, thanks to a partnership with the Beijing Institute of Technology in Zhuhai, China. In March, the universities jointly broke ground in Zhuhai on a new cooperative program facility that will span 107,000 square feet and will be funding equally by both institutions. The 800-acre Chinese campus already educates an estimated 25,000 students, and Bryant hopes the partnership will encourage more of them to study at the Rhode Island campus.

President Machtley, who has served in the role for two decades, has been a great proponent of the expansion. Throughout his tenure the university has added approximately 267,000 square feet in facilities and invested upwards of $250 million in both facilities and technology, according to a statement.