Community Engagement Guidelines
In support of community-engaged teaching, learning, and practice that is grounded in reciprocity, accountability, and shared value, the Center for Community Partnerships provides RISD faculty, students, staff, and community partners with information and resources to clarify expectations, reduce risk, and support ethical well-designed partnerships.
For an understanding of RISD policies, as well as tools and guidance for civic engagement activities, see below. We also recommend you use our preparedness checklist below before getting started on a community engagement project (RISD login required).
Policies and guidance
Partnership agreements
Collaboration agreements help establish shared expectations at the start of a partnership. They can clarify roles, timelines, communication practices, and project goals, ensuring RISD participants and community partners have a shared understanding of the work.
Templates and related resources can be found on our resource pages for students and faculty and staff. If you have questions or would like to discuss whether a collaboration agreement is appropriate for your project, contact the associate director of the Center for Community Partnerships (See our team overview for contact information).
Community engagement guidelines
Community engagement at RISD is guided by college policies that support safety, ethical practice, and responsible partnership. See below for policies and additional documentation most commonly relevant to community-engaged projects.
Policies
- Intellectual Property
- Logo Usage, Sponsorship, and Co-Branding
- Background Checks for Work with Children and Minors
Forms and important contacts
Human subject research
To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects recruited to participate in research activities, it is best practice to work with an institutional review board (IRB). Some institutions have their own IRB; those who do not, like RISD, can submit to an IRB at another institution, such as the University of Rhode Island Institutional Review Board.
Support and accountability
To support learning, accountability, institutional reporting, and Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) reporting, community engagement activities should be documented. For guidance on documentation, reporting tools, or evaluation practices, contact our office at community@risd.edu.
To support internal assessment and external reporting requirements, track participation and outcomes using GivePulse or another approved reporting tool.
Community partners and students should have meaningful opportunities to provide feedback on their experience. We review documentation to identify lessons learned, assess impact, and surface emerging practices that can inform future work and required reporting.
Frequently asked questions
When should I consider a liability waiver?
You should consider a liability waiver whenever a RISD-sponsored or -organized activity involves physical, legal, or reputational risk.
Who should I contact if I have liability questions?
If you have general liability questions, start with our office. For insurance and risk assessment, contact Risk and Emergency Management. For legal interpretation, contact General Counsel.
Does a waiver eliminate RISD’s responsibility?
No. Waivers are one tool among many to mitigate liability, which depends on the context and applicable law.
Does my project require ethical review?
To ensure safety, privacy, and informed consent, ethical review is generally required for projects involving human participants and their data. Ethical review is also generally required for projects involving animals. See “Community engagement guidelines” above for more about human subject research and institutional review boards (IRBs).
Who owns the work created through a partnership?
RISD owns the intellectual property rights to all college-commissioned works, subject only to the applicable faculty or student use rights, in the absence of an express agreement providing otherwise. Read our full intellectual property rights policy for details.
When are background checks required?
Background checks are required for the following:
- Placements in the Providence Public School District (PPDS). This includes Rhode Island State BCI, mandated reporter training, PPSD confidentiality agreement, and Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) clearance.
- Any activities involving children or minors outside PPSD. This includes Rhode Island State BCI and mandated reporter training.
By when must background checks be completed?
Background checks must be complete before the start of any interaction with minors.
Will a background check by a community partner meet the requirement?
Possibly, but you must confirm this in advance. Do not assume background checks are transferable across institutions.