Salve Regina University

Community members who created public installations featuring their art and poetry are featured at numerous locations on Aquidneck Island as part of the “Poetry of the Wild” exhibition, which runs through Aug. 6.

Ana Flores, ecological artist, sculptor and founder of Poetry of the Wild, says the project connects people to the landscape by combining poetry, visual art and the natural world. It is supported by Salve Regina with help from additional community partners.

Flores – who runs Earth Inform Studio – has been bringing Poetry of the Wild to locations both public and wild for the last 12 years. Each installation features a box or sculpture, built by artists and community members using recycled materials, that contains an original or classic poem as well as a journal for passersby to contribute reflections of their own. Each unique site reflects the spirit of each place.

Jen McClanaghan, assistant professor and writer-in-residence at Salve Regina, and her class took on a leading role in organizing Poetry of the Wild in Newport, engaging with Flores and local artists to encourage submissions.

Installations are featured at more than a dozen sites throughout the island, including Eisenhower Park, Redwood Library, Aquidneck Land Trust, FabLab, the Met School, Community Garden at Quaker Meeting House, the Cliff Walk, Ballard Park, the Salve Regina campus and more.

The University’s engagement in Poetry of the Wild is one example of the type of community collaborations being spearheaded by Salve Regina faculty as part of a $173,800 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation to intentionally infuse community engagement and civic learning into the curriculum.

The courses developed by faculty in each of the three years of the grant are built around a significant project developed in conjunction with partners that will fulfill a demonstrated community need and allow students to apply concepts and skills they learn in class. Regardless of discipline, students will be engaging with literature, practice, and reflection on justice, fairness, and social change in relation to their subject matter and their community project.

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A partnership between Salve Regina and Miami Dade College in Florida has expanded opportunities for students and graduates from the college’s two-year programs to complete their bachelor’s degrees at Salve Regina, as well as enroll in the University’s online graduate programs and low-residency Ph.D. program in humanities.

Dr. Scott Zeman, provost/vice president for academic affairs, prioritized the partnership with Miami Dade when he arrived on campus in July 2014. Miami Dade is among the nation’s largest colleges, with several campuses and an enrollment of more than 165,000 students from highly diverse backgrounds. The institution, which proclaims itself as “Democracy’s College,” provides educational opportunities to many first-generation students.

“It has been an energizing experience to be working closely with the students and faculty of Miami Dade College,” said Tiffany McClanaghan, director of graduate studies and continuing education. “Their drive and enthusiasm for lifelong learning to benefit them both personally and professional has been invigorating. We look forward to welcoming and supporting more of their fellow alumni into our community.”

Presently, Miami Dade students are enrolled in all three degree programs, pursuing bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Salve Regina. Here are some of their stories:

Nathalie Bazile, B.A. in psychology

Born in Port au Prince, Haiti, Bazile moved to the U.S. at age 3 along with her mother and two siblings. At the time, her father was still in Haiti, so the family had to look after themselves. It wasn’t easy, as her mom worked two jobs away from home and only got to see her children a couple times a week. Education was not a family priority either – there simply weren’t enough resources to invest in it.

“The thought of my mom struggling, although she seldom admitted it, is what instilled the importance of education in me,” Bazile said. “I made it my priority to excel so my mother would not have to carry the burden of covering my educational expenses.”

Despite attending schools in the U.S. for more than 19 years, Bazile is not recognized as a citizen. The document she holds, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), allows her to live and work in the U.S., but prohibits her from receiving any type of federal aid. After graduating from the Honors College at Miami Dade in 2015, the process of transferring to a university was much harder for her because most schools were not familiar with her status.

“My status also disqualified me from most scholarships, forcing me to decline admission due to lack of financial assistance,” Bazile said. “I saw no way out, until I met with two representatives from Salve Regina [Dr. Scott Zeman and Dr. Khalil Habib].”

Bazile decided to attend Salve even before she was accepted. “I knew I had to do whatever it took to be admitted because I felt like I would be recognized for my hard work and achievements and not be discouraged because of my nationality,” she said. “Not only would the barrier that was blocking me from fulfilling my dream finally be eliminated, but I would now have the opportunity to flourish in a positive intellectual environment.”

While she stumbled over some obstacles during her first semester at Salve Regina, Bazile quickly learned that she could rely on the caring campus community. She adjusted quickly, thanks to numerous services and resources provided.

“The Salve community has proven to be astonishingly close and shows interest in everyone who attends,” Bazile said. “They genuinely want students to succeed. The faculty, staff and students have helped me come to the realization that I am not alone on this journey and are also a big part of me achieving my goal of getting above a 3.5 in my courses and also effectively managing my work schedule.”

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NEWPORT, R.I. (Dec. 6, 2016) – Salve Regina University students working in collaboration with the Middletown Historical Society have completed a 365-page investigative analysis of the Siege of Newport, a 1778 battle fought from opposing hills in Middletown that became one of the largest military operations of the Revolution. The historic effort to retake Newport – known as the Battle of Rhode Island – was the first joint military operation of the newly formed alliance between the French and the Colonials.

Printed at Salve Regina University, “Siege of British Forces in Newport County by Colonial and French in August of 1778” is the first in-depth analysis of the battlefield that could very well have been the site where the Revolutionary War was won.

The document is now available in public libraries and in historical society archives throughout Aquidneck Island, as well as in electronic format via the university’s McKillop Library digital commons repository. The research was commissioned by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, which awarded a $67,200 grant to the Middletown Historical Society in summer 2015.

The Salve Regina students, under the guidance of Cultural and Historic Preservation Assistant Professor Jon Marcoux and History Professor John Quinn, conducted much of the work as part of the collaborative research team. On Monday (Dec. 4), Kenneth Walsh, the Middletown Historical Society Research Team’s Principal Investigator, joined with university faculty, students and alumni to formally present copies of the completed report to Jane Gerety, RSM, Salve Regina president, and Scott Zeman, provost/vice president for academic affairs.

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On #GivingTuesday, people everywhere – including retailers, charities, online organizations, community centers, individuals, families and more – will come together with one common purpose: to help others and incentivize ways to give more, give smarter and celebrate the spirit of giving.

Salve Regina has joined this international celebration of generosity, and encourages members of the University community to make their annual gift on this day. Whether they support The SALVEfund, scholarships or a favorite Seahawk team, gifts impact the campus and the lives of students.

“We already have a day that acknowledges giving thanks, and we have two days to acknowledge deals and shopping, so this is a day to kick off the season of giving and encourage philanthropy,” said Alison Bognuda, annual giving officer, operations.

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