RIC’s New Provost & Head of Academic Affairs – Manyul Im

On July 1, 2025, Manyul Im will become Rhode Island College’s new provost and vice president for academic affairs. He was formerly provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.

Like many RIC students, Im is a first-generation college student. Born in South Korea, his family immigrated to Queens when he was five, moved to Long Island when he was 10 and to California when he was 13.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley (1988); and his master’s degree (1993) and doctorate degree (1997) in philosophy from the University of Michigan.

“I wanted to go beyond the dreams of professional, economic success that my immigrant parents had for me,” Im says. “I wanted to discover the foundations for a meaningful life and try to contribute something to the lives of others.”

To that end, he says, “I have sought out institutions of higher education where there were strong commitments to academic quality and mission-driven efforts to provide diversity and inclusivity support, professional curricular content as well as an intellectual life of the mind in a global context.”

As a professor at Fairfield University; California State University, Los Angeles; and the University of Oklahoma, Im taught a range of courses from intro-level philosophy to Confucianism, Daosim and seminars on broader topics, such as ethics, free will and human destiny. He is also co-founder and co-administrator of Warp, Weft, and Way, a blog dedicated to the discussion of Chinese and comparative philosophy among scholars and students of philosophy.

When asked how his interests in Chinese philosophy and Confucianism has influenced his role as a leader, Im replied:

“Confucius and his followers were very much interested in what it meant to be a good leader. At that time, there was no emperor. There were only leaders of different factions and geographic areas vying for power. Confucius believed it was important to be the kind of leader who took care of the people so well that people from other regions would want to come and join you.”

That’s the kind of institution Im wants RIC to become. 

“My goal as provost is to bring Rhode Island College not only up to the standards of contemporary higher education institutions but for RIC to really become a leader, especially around pedagogy, student support and faculty-led student research,” he says.

What drew Im to Rhode Island College was the faculty and staff focus on providing a transformative experience for its students. 

“Some institutions look at college as a place to earn a degree and get a good-paying job,” he says, “but RIC sees it as more of a life-changing experience for its students. We have to align everything we do – whether it’s residential life or financial aid – with our shared goal. I think everyone has the same goal here, which is to provide students with an educational experience that is transformative.”