Donald J. Farish, 75, of Bristol

Posted 7/16/18

Roger Williams University President Donald J. Farish, who transformed RWU into a vibrant, vital institution devoted to community engagement, college affordability and equity, died on Thursday, July …

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Donald J. Farish, 75, of Bristol

Posted

Roger Williams University President Donald J. Farish, who transformed RWU into a vibrant, vital institution devoted to community engagement, college affordability and equity, died on Thursday, July 5, 2018 at Tufts Medical Center, in Boston, after a sudden and serious illness. He was 75.

Farish, who became RWU’s 10th president in 2011, was planning to retire when his current contract expired in June 2019, culminating a remarkable 51-year career in academia. 

During his seven years at RWU, he provided a vision for a modern university, aiming to “build the university the world needs now” and strongly positioning the university for its next phase of institutional growth. Throughout his tenure, he demonstrated a genuine love for students and a steadfast belief in the power of higher education to transform lives. He was a thought leader and a prolific writer, who used his presidential blog and essays to advocate for change in the U.S. model of higher education.

Farish emphasized the importance of engaging with the community and being a good neighbor in Bristol. Working with RWU faculty and local organizations, the Community Partnerships Center has involved 2,811 students in a total of 259 community-engaged projects over the last seven years. During RWU’s annual day of service, the entire freshman class fans out across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, cleaning up the Bristol shoreline, weeding the garden at Coggeshall Farm and taking an inventory of Bristol trees.

“I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Farish,” said Diane M. Williamson, Bristol’s Director of Community Development. “Through his Community Partnerships Center initiative, we have been a community partner with the University on many local projects, including the study for the Bristol Maritime Center. We shared an enthusiasm for student learning out in the community, and I enjoyed working with him to find new ways to engage the students with the town, especially in the areas of art and historic preservation, which he was so interested in. I will miss him.”  

“He was a wonderful community leader,” said Jeffrey Hirsh, owner of The Lobster Post restaurant, in Bristol. “Asides from academics, he was very welcoming and involved in the community. He attended tons of meetings, events and functions and was very supportive of what goes on in the community.”

“Don Farish will be honored beyond the campus for his clear-eyed understanding of the challenges faced by higher education and his bold proposals to meet them,” RWU Interim President Andrew Workman said. “At the University, he will be remembered for his eloquence, intelligence, wit and for his deep concern for our students.”

”Rhode Island lost a wonderful, wise champion for higher education with President Don Farish’s passing,” U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said. “President Farish embodied the ideals that Roger Williams set forth for Rhode Island, and Roger Williams University thrived under his thoughtful leadership.”

Among the many accomplishments during President Farish’s tenure:

In fall 2014, the RWU community launched The Vision Project, with more than 20 committees of faculty, staff, students and trustees working together over six months to articulate a bold, new core purpose: “To strengthen society through engaged teaching and learning.” They also established a set of core values and a visionary goal: “To build the university the world needs now.”

Since 2012, each incoming undergraduate class has received a tuition guarantee for the duration of their four-year full-time studies as part of the Affordable Excellence program, providing peace of mind for students and parents who know exactly what their tuition will be and can plan accordingly.

One year ago, RWU hired its first-ever Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Ame O. Lambert, and the University is expanding its efforts to welcome and value all expressions of diversity and identity. 

In 2016, RWU doubled the size of its presence in downtown Providence, and the new campus at One Empire Plaza has become a hub of innovation and new initiatives. For example, the RWU School of Continuing Studies is partnering with the first Gateway to College National Network program in Rhode Island, offering students who have left high school before graduation a chance to earn a high school diploma and college credit.

He emerged as a national voice for reform in higher education, launching a blog called “Higher Ed in Crisis: A President’s Take” His essays appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed and The Hechinger Report. 

Farish was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in Dec. 1942 and moved to Vancouver at age 16. He won a scholarship through a national competition to become the first member of his family to attend college. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia in 1963, majoring in zoology, and a master’s degree from North Carolina State University in 1966, majoring in entomology. 

He earned a doctorate in biology from Harvard University in 1970, working under the eminent biologist E.O. Wilson. He earned a law degree from the University of Missouri in 1976, and he completed studies at Harvard University’s Institute for Educational Management in 1992.

Farish taught at the University of Missouri from 1968 to 1979, becoming chair of the Physiology and Behavior Section of the Division of Biological Sciences. He served as an assistant dean and an associate dean at the University of Rhode Island’s College of Arts and Sciences from 1979 to 1983. He worked at Sonoma State University from 1983 to 1998, rising to Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs after serving as dean of the School of Natural Sciences.

In 1998, he became the sixth president of Rowan University, a public research university in Glassboro, N.J. During 13 years at Rowan, he oversaw the physical expansion of the campus, including the construction of new academic facilities for science, medicine, teacher education and technology research; nearly 2,000 additional student residence beds to accommodate rapidly expanding enrollment; and a 26-acre downtown redevelopment project to connect the borough of Glassboro with the university.

Farish is survived by his wife, Maia; his younger sister, Pamela Walton, and her husband, Neil, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; his stepson, Michael Gaillard, and his wife, Brett, and their two sons, Sam and Max, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased in 2010 by his younger brother, Bill, whose wife, Jan Farish, lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Funeral services will be private. Calling hours will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the University Residence, 45 Ferry Road, Bristol. No parking will be available at the University Residence, but shuttles will take people there from RWU’s Bristol campus. Those traveling to campus should go to the main entrance and board shuttles from Lots 11 and 12. Those coming from campus should board shuttles from Lot 1 (near the Alumni & Admission Center).

A public celebration is planned on the RWU campus early in the upcoming fall semester. 

In response to the outpouring of condolences and numerous requests for a way to honor the life and legacy of President Farish, the University has established the President Donald J. Farish Memorial Fund. All contributions to this fund will be designated to support the University and its initiatives according to the family’s wishes. To make a donation, go to: https://give.evertrue.com/rwu/president-farish

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