Crystal Williams

Dear RISD Community,

RISD’s Board of Trustees convenes three times a year for scheduled meetings to conduct the ongoing fiduciary and oversight work that helps advance the institution’s mission. 

At the winter Board of Trustees meeting in February, the board voted on membership for the following: 

• Sol Armada de la Cruz 92 AP, President of Alumni Association
• Helen Burnham, PhD
• Kathy Megrue Smith 88 GD  

In honor of their extraordinary service to RISD, the following retired trustees were elected to the Emeriti Trustees:

• Erica Di Bona P 11
• Jon Kamen P 09
• Michael Spalter

During this meeting, trustees heard updates from cabinet members on brand messaging and strategy in anticipation of RISD’s 150th anniversary celebration, as well as updates from the divisions of Social Equity and Inclusion, Institutional Advancement, and Public Safety. Trustees also engaged substantively in the strategic planning process, including discussions of the emerging pressures facing the higher education sector and their potential impact on RISD’s future. Guest speakers included alum David Stark 91 PT, who shared his journey from studio painter to esteemed event designer and producer, Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, whose presentation on generational differences in the workplace sparked lively discussion, and the Faculty Steering Committee co-chairs, who provided summaries about some of the activities and current conversations taking place among members of the faculty. 

The board also approved tuition and fees for the 2026–27 academic year (see rates below). In recent years, the costs of utilities, goods, and services have risen rapidly—in some cases by double digits—significantly increasing the cost of delivering a RISD education. The board approved tuition and student fee increases of 3.9% and room and board increases of 5%, resulting in an overall cost-of-attendance increase of 4.1%. These rates reflect our commitment to absorbing as much of the rising cost burden as possible while preserving the high-quality student experience RISD is known for.

Further, we remain committed to making a RISD education as accessible as possible to as many students as possible. To that end, we will increase the financial aid budget by 6.4% for the 2026–27 academic year. This investment allows us to:

• Increase the number of students receiving financial aid, and
• Ensure that students currently on financial aid see their awards increase to cover the additional tuition expense.

RISD is as vital and forward-looking as ever. With our 150th anniversary on the horizon, exciting things are ahead—for our campus, our community, and the fields our graduates will shape. At RISD, we exalt the creative. We dare to dream new realities. And as a result, our impact is limitless. Thank you for being part of this amazing community and extraordinary place.

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President

Rhode Island School of Design Tuition and Fee Schedule 

2026–27 Academic Year

Effective Summer 2026

Dear RISD Community,

Welcome to spring semester! I hope you were able to find time to restore and spend meaningful time with beloveds during the winter break. Indeed, the importance of our connections to each other and the moments we create that foster love and peace seem more essential now than ever.

As we begin the semester, we must acknowledge that the College Hill community is still processing the attack at Brown University on December 13 and mourning the loss of Ella Cook and MukhammadAziz Umurzokov. I know all of us are grateful for the many community members—at RISD, at Brown, and in the Providence and surrounding communities—whose care and generosity have served as balm and support. Thank you. 

Many among us are also trying to make sense of the numerous and complex discordant social and civic ruptures happening in this country and around the world. And, as a result, many of us are experiencing a complex series of emotions, anxieties, and uncertainties. What is certain is that RISD remains committed to its values, which prioritize fostering an environment that advances principles of social equity and inclusion, and asserts that the diversity among us is a strength to be honored and celebrated. Our mission compels us to make and support lasting contributions to a global society through critical thinking and innovation in art and design. Despite chaos and upheaval, we center our mission, stay the course, and make art and design, which remain among humanity’s most powerful tools of self-expression and change-making.

Less weighty but also impactful to our daily existence, the 2026 Snowpocalypse has left us with the snowy mounds of Providence and their slushy refuse, making traversing crosswalks around the city and parking challenging. There is a national shortage of salt, which has complicated cleanup. Moreover, so much snow fell that there are few places to put it. As a native Michigander (it is a very snowy state), even I have found this ongoing mess tiresome. That is why I am especially grateful for our Facilities staff, particularly the groundskeepers and building engineers, who continue to work hard to ensure campus lots and walkways are as safe and passable as possible. During the height of the snow, our RISD crews were working 18-hour days. Likewise, all of the staff members—Dining, Student Life, and countless others—whose work required that they be on campus amid the storm and its immediate aftermath have our enduring appreciation. Collectively, they ensured campus operations continued smoothly and essential services remained accessible. As the snow melts, please take care as you traverse campus and College Hill and take a moment to thank RISD community members who helped to ensure our safety and continued operations.  

Finally, there is so much going on that it’s difficult to keep up. I know top of mind for many is guidance related to immigration policy and practices. I again encourage you to review RISD’s guidance on what to do (and what not to do) in various scenarios involving federal agents, revisit advice and resources for international students and scholars, and familiarize yourself with resources for addressing discrimination. While RISD will only make statements on issues that directly affect its mission and operations, artists and designers can and should always understand their rights regarding the power of creative expression and freedom of speech. 

As the spring semester begins, I hope you will remember to find comfort, inspiration, and strength in this community—a community filled with brilliant, curious, engaged creatives. Indeed. We are creative. We dare to imagine new ways. Our potential is limitless. This is RISD. And I am grateful to and for you all.

May your spring semester be wonder-filled and productive. 

Take good care,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President

Dear RISD Community,

When I arrived at RISD nearly four years ago, I proposed five key ways that we might approach co-creating a thriving community: by amplifying the voices of talented artists and designers; evolving our thinking, teaching, and learning; cultivating our people and their capacities; engaging with the diversity of the world’s people and traditions to expand possibilities; and connecting by forming and deepening our relationships with one another, key stakeholders, and the wider world. These are more than aspirations; they are our shared commitments to embodying our values. Today, I’m excited to share an important step in bringing this charge to life: the implementation of RISD’s Presidential Initiatives.

The recommendations identified by the Holistic Student Wellness, Preparedness for Life After RISD, and Financial Optimization committee members are pragmatic and actionable. I am deeply thankful for all the work and analysis that went into generating them. Combined, these recommendations reflect deep collaboration and innovative thinking among students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alums. They represent the best of our collective thinking and action as we look toward RISD’s future, focusing on three essential questions: 

• How can we better support and prepare our graduates for the complex and evolving world that awaits them? 

• How can we ensure that faculty and staff are supported to best accomplish their work at RISD? 

• How can we steward our resources strategically to sustain RISD’s mission for generations to come?

The committees, having broadly consulted with many campus stakeholders, produced recommendations that now have clear cabinet-level leadership and cross-divisional collaboration to guide their implementation. Some efforts are already underway. Others will unfold over time in connection to our Strategic Planning process, evolving through continued listening, innovation, and the shared expertise within our community. 

Our action plan includes these recommendations as well as structural interventions to help catalyze, organize, and launch endeavors that are key to RISD's success going forward. They include: 

• Support faculty in expanding students’ learning with care, through inclusive pedagogy; for example, by expanding the Teaching & Learning Lab.

• Continue to strengthen student advising.

• Reduce barriers across departments.

• Provide skill-building for working effectively and thoughtfully with neurodivergent and diverse populations. 

• Deepen our commitments to ensuring that, upon graduation, students leave with not only exemplary technical skills and artistic sophistication, but also optimal preparation and support to successfully pursue their desired professional path.

• Amplify engagement, communications, and data that support the value of a RISD degree.

• Examine and optimize our current use of space, one of our largest assets.

More information is available on the updated Strategic Planning website, which will serve as our communications hub for progress updates on the implementation of the Presidential Initiatives, as well as the broader Strategic Planning process, currently underway. 

At RISD, we are guided by a belief that art and design are not peripheral to society. They are central to imagining and building a more just and equitable future. The Presidential Initiatives are one way we act on that belief, bolstering conditions that allow creativity to thrive and expanding the reach and relevance of a RISD education. They reflect our shared commitment to bold thinking, meaningful change, and a future shaped by our collective vision.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership, creativity, and care as we take this next step together. I look forward to continuing this work with you and to seeing the many ways it will transform our students and alums, our institution, and the world.

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President