Crystal Williams

Dear RISD Community,

Artists and designers play a pivotal role in building more democratic and equitable societies. As a college and a museum committed to making lasting contributions to society, we value engagement as a means of promoting constructive discourse and proactive, ethical action throughout our community.

As you all know, we’re heading into a season of civic participation in advance of November’s election. Tuesday, September 17, was National Voter Registration Day. As part of this nationwide campaign, information tables were set up across campus. If you missed them, please check out RISD Votes to learn more. 

Additionally, we are pleased to announce a series of programs and events—from ongoing voter registration and education efforts to faculty and staff workshops—centered on dialogue, learning and understanding. Co-created by multiple divisions across RISD, the Lift Every Voice: Civics in Action Series offers opportunities to listen, share and learn across our differences and gives us a deeper appreciation for the variety of ways those in the RISD community live in and experience the world. While RISD, as a non-profit 501(c)(3) institution, is prohibited from participating in partisan political activity, community members are strongly encouraged to engage in dialogue, deploy creativity as a critical tool and center art and design as they explore the issues that shape our world.

The ongoing engagement of community is vital to promoting more just societies. This is work we’re dedicated to supporting at RISD. You can find a wide range of fall semester events at www.risd.edu/engagement. We hope to see you there. 

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams, president

President’s Cabinet

Sofiya Cabalquinto, chief marketing & communications officer

Amanda Clark MacMullan, vice president of Institutional Advancement

Antonia Craig, special assistant to the president & secretary to the Board of Trustees

Touba Ghadessi, provost

Bethany Jankunis, vice president for Strategy and Planning and senior advisor to the president

Tsugumi Maki, director, RISD Museum

Rick Mickool, chief information officer
James O’Hara, vice president for Enrollment Management

Ray Quirolgico, vice president for Student Life

Liz Rainone, interim vice president for Human Resources

David Rosati, senior vice president for Finance and Administration

Jack Silva, vice president for Campus Services

Dear staff, faculty and students,

I write to share details of the interim leadership plan for the areas overseen by Social Equity and Inclusion (SEI).

Through partnerships with the Board of Trustees, senior leaders, staff, faculty, students, committees and and others, SEI will continue to lead and implement efforts to advance social equity and inclusion at RISD, including:

• working to embed social equity and inclusion throughout RISD policies, structures and strategic imperatives;

• continuing to foster a sense of community and belonging, particularly for people from group that are underrepresented and marginalized on campus; and

• identifying strengths, opportunities, gaps and challenges in creating an equitable and inclusive campus climate.

To that end, Ray Quirolgico, vice president for Student Life, will oversee the areas led by Tony Johnson, newly titled assistant vice president for Social Equity & Inclusion (formerly titled associate dean for student SEI) and Richard Song, director of Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE). The interim structuring of ISE within the Division of Student Life presents many opportunities to continue to strengthen the alignment and coordination of student programs, educational outreach, individual and group advisement and campus events.

Renee Byas, general counsel, will oversee the office of Equity and Compliance. Emily Gleason, associate director, Title IX, Equity & Compliance and Alyssa Roush, interim associate director, Equity and Compliance, will report to Renee in this interim period.

While the vice president for Social Equity and Inclusion role is vacant, this interim plan assures that critical services and programs will continue with minimal disruption. I thank these leaders for the work they are doing to support the RISD community. Their efforts to build institutional capacity and empower RISD students, staff and faculty through guidance, engagement and partnership, resources and education further our goal of co-creating a community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

We have retained Isaacson Miller to conduct a national search led by Keight Tucker Kennedy, partner, for our next vice president of Social Equity and Inclusion. The firm is sourcing candidates with exceptional experience and qualifications who can help us further address our systems, structures, programs and policies, and expand the area’s oversight to include the broad dynamism of human experience at RISD.

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President

Dear students, staff and faculty,

Welcome to RISD, Class of 2028, new staff and faculty, and welcome back to our returning community members! 

Over the past few months, as facilities have received upgrades, repairs and fresh coats of paint in anticipation of the full community’s return, faculty have been putting the finishing touches on syllabi, while the museum curators are confirming plans for fall tours and programs. Students have been shopping for art supplies and buying essentials to make their rooms in the residence halls feel like home. It was great to see so many of you around campus this past weekend, to meet so many first-year students and families, and to feel your joy and excitement for the semester ahead.  

Co-created Community 

Last spring was a tense time on our campus as we struggled to reach a broad consensus about how to treat all members of the RISD community with dignity and respect despite our differences of opinion, approach and perspective. As the new semester begins and we gather together once more, I want to acknowledge that we still have much to learn from each other and much work to do to repair fissures in our community. The task before us is significant in scope, but I encourage us all to embrace the opportunities present in our classrooms, studios and beyond to use our creativity and artistry to not just imagine innovative, sustainable and beautiful solutions, but to enact them. To that end, there are a few programs or initiatives I’d like to call to your attention:

1. On September 24 and 25, the Provost’s Office will offer a workshop guided by Riman Barakat and Karen Brunwasser of FeelBeit (a group of Israelis and Palestinians who create art and music to bridge divides in Jerusalem). FeelBeit’s award-winning productions combine a broad range of artistic disciplines including music, film, theater, visual art, media and installation.
2. In early October, community members will have an opportunity to participate in an interfaith gathering to reflect on our collective grief and loss, led by Brown University Chaplain Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson. 
3. In the spirit of supporting collective learning and bridging differences, Provost Ghadessi has invited faculty to take part in a series of programs offered throughout the fall through the Teaching & Learning Lab. Topics include navigating difficult moments in the classroom and strategies for political discussion and debate. 

The upcoming US elections also offer us an opportunity to strengthen our community bonds by working together on an issue of national and international import. And while RISD cannot engage in partisan advocacy because of our nonprofit status, we can and will encourage US citizens of voting age to engage in the democratic process. So, RISD’s Center for Community Partnerships will host the Lift Every Voice: Civics in Action Series as election season kicks into high gear. Events and programs to be held in the run-up to November 5 include a campus voter registration drive, some fun art- and design-related programs, activities to foster dialogue across political persuasions and information on voter resources designed to enhance civic engagement within our community. 

We are continuing to review and revise a number of policies that help guide us in the co-creation of an environment at RISD that considers the needs of its individual members as well as the collective. I hope opportunities to listen, share and learn across our differences will give us a deeper appreciation for the variety of ways those in the RISD community live in and experience the world.  

Finally, RISD’s leadership team, in consultation with members of the Community and Culture Assessment group, has been reflecting on the data gathered from the climate survey and final report. They will share recommended actions this fall that we can begin to implement to ensure that RISD truly is a place where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.   

Operating with Integrity and Excellence

We have made great strides in identifying areas to streamline operations and strengthen our financial discipline. The RISD Fund brought in more than $3.5 million last year, thanks to the leadership of the vice president for Institutional Advancement and the IA team, and the generosity of our community. One hundred percent of RISD’s Board of Trustees contributed to the RISD Fund. 

This fall, Senior Vice President for Finance David Rosati, Provost Touba Ghadessi, Vice President for Enrollment Management Jamie O’Hara and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Amanda MacMullan will once again offer open sessions in which community members can learn about the college’s current financial position and future plans. Dates and calendar holds will be sent soon. 

In addition, the RISD Museum continues to grow. The museum exceeded pre-COVID attendance records for the second year in a row, and its strategic planning process—led by Museum Director Tsugumi Maki in consultation with András Szántó—is nearing completion. Hundreds of interviews were conducted throughout the community, and the museum intends to report on the results in early November. 

Looking Ahead

Over the past few years, we have maintained a focus on strategic priorities related to centering our students, stabilizing our operations and finances, and strengthening our community. A convergence of data from associated initiatives and working groups will produce a set of recommendations in December that will form the foundation for the college’s next strategic planning process. I am excited to reflect on and share what the data tells us about where we are succeeding and which areas can be strengthened and improved. 

I love this time of year. Our potential is boundless, and our perspective is fresh. It’s a wonderful time to dream of what we want the future to bring. I hope you will carry curiosity and wonder with you throughout the academic year. Get to know people outside of your studio, major or department. Explore the remarkable people, culture and community that Providence has to offer. I am reminded of words the poet Gwendolyn Brooks wrote in Paul Robeson to which I often return:

we are each other’s
harvest:
we are each other’s
business:
we are each other’s
magnitude and bond.

I wish each of you a joyful and productive start to the academic year!

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President