Dec. 15, 2025

To Our URI Community,

We are writing with additional information regarding exams for the remainder of the Fall 2025 semester. Please know that the safety and well-being of our University community continues to be our priority. While there is no known threat to any URI campuses, we recognize the stress and anxiety many in our community are experiencing at this time.

Out of compassion for these concerns, to provide flexibility for our students, faculty, and staff, and following careful deliberation among the University’s leadership team, deans, and the Faculty Senate, we have decided to cancel all remaining in-person exams for Fall 2025 courses, with the following provisions.

All students in courses with exams or work due this week may choose one of the following options:

Conclude the course and accept a final grade based on work completed prior to today, Monday, Dec. 15; or

Complete an online exam/assessment—either synchronous or asynchronous—as determined by your course instructor. Online exams/assessments may vary by course.

Synchronous exams/assessments for exams originally scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday will occur at the originally scheduled time. Synchronous assessments for exams originally scheduled for today, Monday, Dec. 15, will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18, following the exam schedule.

Students will receive additional instructions directly from their course instructors. We appreciate your patience as instructors work to communicate this information.

Any exams or work completed prior to Monday, Dec. 15, will continue to count toward the final grade.

We are grateful to our dedicated faculty and staff for their continued commitment to our students and for their efforts to quickly transition exams and assessments online while providing flexible options to our students.

To our faculty:

All students must be given the option to accept a final grade based on work completed to date or to complete an alternate online assessment you provide.

Faculty may choose synchronous (at a scheduled time) or asynchronous formats for online exams/assessments.

If administering synchronous assessments for exams originally scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, the exam/assessment must occur at the originally scheduled time. Synchronous assessments for exams scheduled for today, Monday, Dec. 15, must take place on Thursday, Dec. 18, following the exam schedule in order to avoid conflicts.

All final grades are due by noon on Dec. 29. 

Optional study sessions may continue in person; however, faculty and teaching assistants are encouraged to also offer online access to provide flexibility.

URI Police continue to maintain close communication with Brown University and with state and federal law enforcement partners. You may notice increased patrols across our campuses out of an abundance of caution and to provide additional peace of mind.

The University remains open and continues to serve and support our students. Additional information regarding campus resources and office availability will be shared with the community later today. That message also will include additional information for our dedicated staff members.

In this moment, please keep our friends at Brown in your thoughts, and please continue to prioritize your well-being. As a community, we are stronger together, and we appreciate the care, compassion, and resilience you continue to show one another.

Sincerely,
Marc Parlange, President
Barbara Wolfe, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs