Glenn M. Sulmasy J.D., LL.M., Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Bryant, can speak from personal experience about what is unique about Bryant and why it's an attractive school for many, including himself.

“I love Bryant, and I hope you’ll love Bryant as much as I do,” Sulmasy recently told an online audience gathered for an information session hosted by the Office of Admission.

“It’s been very impressive to me to watch our students progress over their four years of learning at Bryant, as well as see how poised and comfortable they become,” especially as presenters, he said, noting that such communication skills are highly sought after by employers.

The online audience – admitted students and their families who are finalizing where to enroll for their college careers – listened as the Provost detailed what makes Bryant stand apart from other schools. 

Academics are increasingly recognized as "the key value proposition of the Bryant experience."

Bryant boasts a family-like atmosphere infused with the excitement and energy of Division I athletics; stunning grounds with top-notch facilities; and, most important for Sulmasy, high-quality academics  – "the key value proposition of the Bryant experience.”

Academic excellence

Growing Bryant's national reputation through academic excellence has a positive impact on Bryant students' academic experiences, Sulmasy says. “We’re working to make sure everybody knows Bryant’s a great school and has a great business program,” he noted. 

Critical elements of this theme include:

• New faculty. Sulmasy explained that over the last two years, Bryant has added 35 new faculty members who have been trained and educated at top institutions around the world. 

• Rankings recognition. Sulmasy cited recent rankings to help elucidate recognition for academic excellence, from College Factual, which ranks many courses of study at Bryant as top programs and recently named Bryant No. 1 Best Value in New England in Applied Math, ahead of Brown, Harvard, and Yale (the program also is listed as No. 10 in the country and No. 3 in New England); to US News & World Report, which ranked Bryant No. 7 in its category and placed the International Business Program in the top 25 nationally, tied with UNC Chapel Hill. “Much of this success has happened within the last five years,” says Sulmasy.

• New programs, from health sciences to digital marketing to data science (which the Provost identified as a key growth area). Today Bryant is a national leader in undergraduate education in data science.

Return on investment

A second key theme for the Provost is the return on investment a Bryant education offers. “It matters at the end of the day that a graduate gets a job,” said Sulmasy. At Bryant, a student can grow intellectually while preparing for a job. "Here we say, things are not mutually exclusive – you can do both."

Because of this approach, Sulmasy said, Bryant boasts the following outcomes:

• 99% of Bryant graduates are employed or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation;

• average starting salary is $62,000 (salary survey response rate: 91%) 

Sulmasy credited such success to programs faculty and staff have created, including:

• Major/minor combinations from the College of Business and College of Arts and Sciences, making graduates more well-rounded and marketable to employers.

• Experiential learning and group projects, in which students apply concepts from class to real-world challenges, including for corporate partners.

• High-touch faculty experience. With small class sizes and Bryant’s student focus, faculty get to know the students, helping them grow personally and professionally.

You can listen to the Provost's complete presentation here.