Strategy and Planning

RISD’s strategy and planning efforts foster alignment between RISD’s mission and its impact on a changing world, and drive organizational, programmatic and operational transformation across the institution.

Our process is to engage our full community to identify strategic priorities and needs, and then monitor our progress on addressing these priorities and needs, as well as the school’s overall performance, through quantitative and qualitative data. This work allows us to make well-informed choices about how to best use our resources and direct our efforts, thus strengthening RISD to make a continued impact.

In our active strategic initiatives we are taking a holistic, systems-level view of complex institutional challenges and opportunities. These initiatives are designed to be deeply collaborative, regularly engaging the wisdom, insights and creativity of RISD constituencies.

Beginning with a robust exploration of each topic and the development of findings and recommendations led by a core committee, we then prioritize and stage the committee’s recommendations with input from the RISD community and prepare for action through the development of operational and accountability plans and timelines. Plans are strategically implemented, with regular assessments of progress and success.

Core committees for active strategic initiatives include a carefully selected group charged with deeply engaging our full community in its work, then shaping findings and recommendations that respond to the initiative's charge. Core committees include some members appointed following self-nomination and others because of their particular subject matter expertise or position within RISD. Input into the composition of each committee is received from members of RISD’s Dean’s Council and Cabinet to help ensure committees are comprised of a broad range of stakeholders, subject matter expertise and personal experience.

In addition to frequent engagement opportunities for RISD community members, a core intention of active strategic initiatives is high transparency and frequent communications to the community, including progress updates, findings, background research and report drafts available through a variety of vehicles, including email, in-person presentations and this website. We invite and encourage all RISD stakeholders to learn about and engage in this work.