connecting the dots: risd's strategic plan (draft)

Connecting the Dots:RISD's Strategic Plan draft

Jan 2011–2016

Connecting the Dots: RISD’s Strategic Plan, 2011–2016draft

Dear RISD Community:

It has been over a year since I first wrote to you about the launch of our strategic planning effort. From the outset, our plan

was to build upon our solid foundation of critical thinking and critical making; we sought to consider our future within the

constraints and opportunities of accessibility and affordability, and we were committed to respecting history and leveraging

our past planning efforts.

Even then, we knew it would be a complex, challenging and messy process, and true to our identity we’ve iterated and

critiqued along the way. Our firm belief in our disciplinary core and our exploration of the four areas we set out to consider

has led us full circle to a plan that keeps us true to our founding mission and reinforces our strengths while driving us to

complete an infrastructure that is commensurate with our academic quality.

Connecting the Dots: RISD’s Strategic Plan 2011-2016 is the fruit of countless hours of discussion and debate, of research

and writing, editing and restructuring. It is evidence of divergent and convergent opinions, of idealism and of pragmatism.

Thank you again to the members of all the planning groups and the staff members of our operational areas who have

contributed to shaping this plan.

Attached is a draft of the plan that will soon be reviewed by the Board of Trustees at their meeting on February 25-26.

We’ve listened to and considered the concerns you raised and your helpful feedback has strengthened the plan in many

ways. This version has expanded from the pre-draft that some of you may have received in early December. It supersedes

all previous drafts that have been circulated and includes corrections and important clarifications. I’d like to underscore

some key points about the document and our next steps:

• In the academic areas of focus, possible actions have been consolidated into programmatic initiatives, and under each initiative, the scope, source of funding, high-level action steps and outcomes have been identified.

• Goals and objectives in the operational areas have been identified and included.

• We had hoped to include details about the budget process and the allocation or reallocation of resources in this current draft. The preliminary work to estimate the costs for academic and operational initiatives and align these with the budget has started. Since this process is ongoing, I have deemed it imprudent to include an incomplete picture of financial estimates, resources or budgets in this version.

• The Board of Trustees will receive the same document at the February board meeting that has been circulated to the faculty for endorsement in February.

• The Cabinet will continue to work on presenting more specific action steps, identifying associated costs, linking resource allocation and aligning these with the budget and a multi-year financial plan between now and May.

• Once the costs for initiatives have been determined, the sequence and phasing of implementation and prioritization in relation to available resources will be determined by the Cabinet working with me.

• Metrics, benchmarks and a phased implementation framework will also be included.

• The final comprehensive plan will be presented to the Board at the May meeting.

• The Strategic Planning Council will be activated in September 2011. They will be charged with monitoring plan implementation and benchmarks and proposing mid-course corrections if necessary.

The RISD community’s participation in this inclusive and organic planning process has been exceptional. I hope you will

take the time to read the document, commend and thank our faculty, staff and student colleagues for their remarkable work.

Remember that you can always refer to the Strategic Planning page on the President’s website for background materials

and to access a pdf of this draft version.

We will be holding an open community conversation to discuss the plan on Tuesday, January 25, 11:30-1:00 pm at the

RISD Auditorium, and I hope to see you there. I also look forward to presenting the plan at the February 2nd faculty meeting.

Thank you for doing your part to connect the dots at RISD,

John Maeda, president

Connecting the Dots: RISD’S Strategic Plan, 2011-2016draft

page 1 connecting the dots: In Brief

page 2 start here: What We Do

page 3 drawing the lines: Our Process

page 5 strategic planning network

page 7 risd today: A Snapshot

page 8 the world today: Challenging Realities

page 11 academic planning: Connecting our Strengths

education: Teaching and Learning

research: Discovery and Knowledge

engagement: Local and Global

academic initiatives

page 18 operational planning: Completing our Infrastructure

it, administrative services, and facilities: Supporting Our Work

students and enrollment: Supporting Our Students

institutional engagement: Securing RISD’s Foundation

a learning organization: Supporting Our Community

contents


[1]

Connecting the Dots: RISD’s Strategic Plan, 2011–2016 builds on a long

tradition of excellence in art and design education and ongoing intellectual

leadership to sustain RISD’s distinction in the 21st century. The goals,

objectives, and initiatives set forth here will enhance collaboration and

creative enterprise already at play in RISD’s community, spanning

generations, talent bases, and cultures. This plan focuses on two primary

areas—academics and operations—strengthening connections between

them, as well as within and across disciplines, with technologies and

without, on and off campus, and at and after RISD.

connecting the dots: In Brief

Between 2011 and 2016 we will

• Increase the number of permanent full-time faculty positions

• Increase funding to meet baseline needs for facilities, library acquisitions, technology, shop and laboratory staffing, and student employment in support of academic programs

• Establish a RISD curriculum development initiative to better fund curricular innovation

• Create a RISD faculty fellows program for the promotion of excellence and innovation in collegiate teaching in art and design

• Study how to optimize RISD's academic structure

• Establish a program within Academic Affairs to support research and engagement in art and design

• Develop focused strategy for RISD to strengthen existing opportunities for off-campus study and identify areas for strategic growth of RISD’s international and other study-away programs

• Develop an up-to-date infrastructure for information technology and administrative support services

• Establish an integrated enrollment services operation to enhance the complete student experience

• Increase scholarships and funding for financial aid

• Continue to build a learning organization that values diversity and inclusion, invests in career development, and forges local and global relationships


[2]

For well over a century, RISD has been among

the preeminent institutions of art and design

education. To ensure another century of leader-

ship, we must solidly position ourselves for the

future by strengthening our academic core and

enriching opportunities for our students. This

five-year strategic plan, commencing in 2011,

will be both affirmational and aspirational: it

will support the already deeply established disci-

plinary and pedagogical strengths of the institu-

tion while striving to build on those strengths

and to create new ones. At the same time, it will

take financial realities into account from the

outset and remain operationally and financially

grounded throughout its implementation.

RISD’s Founding Mission (1877)

first. The instruction of artisans in drawing, painting, modeling, and designing, that they may successfully apply the principles of Art to the requirements of trade and manufacture.

second. The systematic training of students in the practice of Art, in order that they may understand its principles, give instruction to others, or become artists.

third. The general advancement of public Art Education, by the exhibition of works of Art and of Art school studies, and by lectures on Art.

RISD’s Current Mission (2006)

The mission of the Rhode Island School of Design, through its college and museum, is to educate its students and the public in the creation and appreciation of works of art and design, to discover and transmit knowledge and to make lasting contributions to a global society through critical thinking, scholarship and innovation.

Vision

Our mission today remains true to the

founding mission of 1877. RISD is devoted

to advancing the understanding of art

and design for undergraduate, graduate,

pre-college, and continuing education

students, for K-12 students of the Rhode

Island public schools, and for the greater

community of Southern New England.

RISD’s next strategic plan aims to sustain

this core mission—to preserve RISD's

singular character, to keep its relatively

small community intact, and to stay

faithful to its values around art and design,

education, and critique.

At the same time, the strategic plan

recognizes a set of desires shared by the

RISD community: to enhance existing

disciplinary strength and academic rigor

by supporting faculty and curriculum

development, to improve academic perme-

ability, to increase diversity, to recognize

the whole student by coordinating curric-

ular and co-curricular learning, to improve

institutional operations in support of

teaching and learning, and to pursue a

more strategic direction with respect to our

international agenda. In short, our over-

arching strategy is to recognize, enhance,

and build upon our rigorous academic

program while developing the agility to

respond to a changing world.

The metaphor of “connecting the dots”

suggests that we can more effectively link

the many unique qualities that define a

RISD education—the gem-like dots that

are spread about the campus and the world.

By connecting those dots with improved

curricular, administrative, and finan-

cial systems, and by adding dots in new

areas of focus, we will draw a picture of

a vital 21st-century RISD. A RISD that is

“connected” both locally and globally will

possess the same unique qualities it always

has, while its strengths will be that much

more dynamic and distinct.

Our Distinct Advantages

history. 133 years of teaching, learning, and exhibiting in art and design

tradition. Skilled execution and thoughtful, informed process as core values

disciplines. Commitment to disciplinary depth and rigor

size. Our current size allows us to cultivate individual teaching and learning

foundation studies. First-year undergraduate immersion introducing experimentation, research, and visual and critical inquiry through drawing, 2-D, and 3-D design

liberal arts. Strong programs in History, Art History, English, and the Social Sciences develop literacy and competence in reading, writing, speaking, research, and critical thinking, encouraging a holistic creative process

museum. Internationally recognized collection of 86,000 objects dating from ancient times to the present, emphasizing the nature and context of art-making for the RISD community and serving as a leading cultural resource for the city, state, and region

providence. A culturally rich, accessible, and relatively affordable city offering opportunities for civic engagement and collaboration with other local institutions of higher education

reputation. As the leading institution in art and design education for over a century, with more recent growth in creative leadership and entrepreneurship, RISD has attracted the best faculty, students, staff, and museum professionals

start here: What We Do


[3]

At the start of his tenure, President Maeda was

charged by the Board of Trustees to launch a

strategic planning effort that would envision,

develop, and prioritize institution-wide efforts

to fulfill RISD’s mission. Working with the

Cabinet and the Provost, he designed a process

that would be flexible, wide-ranging, broadly

participatory, and integrated with a comprehen-

sive financial plan. This forward-looking process

has included studying the history of RISD’s

long-range planning activity, the past and

present conditions of our city and state, and

looking to our founding to understand how

Mrs. Helen Metcalf’s vision became the Rhode

Island School of Design.

Fall 2009

In October President Maeda introduced a

process for developing a five-year strategic

plan for RISD, identifying the broad theme

of Critical Thinking/Critical Making to

represent the most fundamental work of

the College: the core academic programs,

structure, and curriculum. Based on a

groundswell of interest from various parts

of the RISD community as well as fertile

connections to the world at large, four focus

themes, each explicitly related to the core

theme, emerged:

life at/after risd: Learning the Skills of Living and Leading

sustainability and the environment: Using Art and Design to Save Our Earth

health care and wellness: Responding to Our Fragility and Humanity

local and global engagement: Being in the World, Near and Far

The President and Cabinet, in consulta-

tion with representative groups, worked

to build a cross-functional Core Group as

well as four Area Working Groups, each

charged with investigating their respective

themes in relationship to the curriculum.

Co-chaired by a Dean and a faculty and/or

staff member, each group included elected

faculty, staff, and students.

The strategic planning groups considered

past plans and other significant evaluation

reports to situate their work in context.

The documents they reviewed include:

President Lee Hall’s plan (1980), President

Tom Schutte’s plan (1984), President Roger

Mandle’s plan (1997–2001), Museum

Accreditation Report (1999), Provost Joe

Deal’s Academic Plan (2000), NEASC/

NASAD Accreditation Report (2006),

Museum strategic plan (2007), Maguire

Report (2007), Provost Jay Coogan’s Draft

Academic Plan (2008), and Ad Hoc Budget

Committee Final Report (2009).

Winter and Spring 2010

From January to May more than seventy

faculty, staff, and student members of the

Core Group and Area Working Groups met

approximately eight times each. Groups

began with a SWOT (Strengths, Weak-

nesses, Opportunities and Threats) or

similar analytical framework to “make

questions,” defining areas of inquiry and

identifying broad themes to guide their

research and discussions. Administrative

areas began to examine operational priori-

ties in part to address longstanding ineffi-

ciencies and in order to be responsive to the

academic goals that emerged from the Core

and Area Working Groups. This work was

presented at the February meeting to the

Board of Trustees, which provided input on

preliminary ideas.

To better organize their work, the Core

Group was divided into four subgroups:

Academic Permeability, Diversity,

Networks, Collaborations and Partner-

ships, and Infrastructure. Throughout the

spring progress reports were presented to

the faculty, staff council, and student alli-

ances. A monthly strategic planning news-

letter was distributed and two community

conversations were held in March. The four

subgroups of the Core Group and the four

Area Working Groups presented their draft

goals and objectives at the faculty meeting

and Board of Trustees meeting in May.

drawing the lines: Our Process


[4]

Summer 2010

The Summer Planning Group, comprised

of twenty-three faculty, students, and

staff, met to draw out key threads of

convergence between the Core and Area

Working Groups’ objectives, arriving at a

new framework for organizing the goals

and objectives developed by the Core and

Area Working Groups. Mapped to the

three main elements of RISD’s mission,

these new focus areas were: teaching +

learning, research + discovery, and

service + engagement.

The Summer Planning Group also

conducted further research, including

internal and external assessments, and

proposed strategies for continuing the work

of planning in the fall. The group presented

its work to the combined membership of

the Core Group and the Area Working

Groups on September 20 and at the October

faculty meeting. At this point, the work of

the Area Working Groups concluded.

Fall 2010

Throughout the fall the Core Group

outlined strategic priorities and recom-

mended possible actions under the

framework of the three focus areas that

were further refined from the work of

the Summer Group. The academic focus

areas were presented to the faculty,

students and staff for feedback in

December 2010. Operational objectives

were incorporated as we moved toward

a comprehensive strategic plan.

Winter 2011

The Cabinet began to determine the

resources required to finance strategic

initiatives and to identify possible funding

sources. The Cabinet will continue to

build a multi-year financial plan that

aligns strategic initiatives with budget

planning and fundraising efforts. The

complete plan will be presented to the

Board of Trustees in May 2011.

drawing the lines: Our Process


[5]

These members of the community

served as part of the Core Group

and four Area Working Groups

and represent a broad cross-section

of students, staff and elected

faculty. Their work from January

- December 2010 is the foundation

for this strategic plan. Titles reflect

role at the time of participation.

Babette AllinaDirector, Government Relations, Finance + Administration

Anastasia AzureTextiles, Jewelry + Metal MFA ’11

Candace BaerVice President, Human Resources

Nate BarchusIndustrial Design ’10, President, Student Alliance (2009–2010)

Dawn BarrettDean, Architecture + Design

Raj BellaniAssociate Provost, Student Affairs

Alexandra Ben-AbbaGlass MFA ’11

Markus BergerAssistant Professor and Graduate Program Director, Interior Architecture

Christina BertoniProfessor, Foundation Studies, and Academic Advising Coordinator

David BogenAssociate Provost, Academic Affairs

Deborah BrightDean, Fine Arts

Steve BrusteinMet Manager, Dining + Catering

Charlie CannonAssociate Professor, Industrial Design

Alan CantaraEnvironmental Health + Safety Manager

Brian ClarkAssistant Vice President, Media

Liz CollinsAssistant Professor, Textiles

Dennis CongdonProfessor + Department Head, Painting

Cathy DavisDirector, Compensation + Benefits, Human Resources

Peter DeanCritic, Furniture Design

Bill DecaturExecutive VP, Finance + Administration

Nick DePaceCritic, Architecture

Susan DoyleAssistant Professor, Illustration

Ginnie DunleavyDirector, Dining + Catering

Jean EddySenior VP, Students + Enrollment

Jessica FanningInterior Architecture MFA ’11

Gabriel FeldProfessor, Architecture

Boback FiroozbakhtInterior Architecture MFA ’11

Leslie FontanaAssociate Professor + Department Head, Industrial Design

Claudia FordDirector, International Programs

David FrazerProfessor, Painting, and Chair, European Honors Program Committee

Sarah GanzDirector, Museum Education, RISD Museum

Brian GoldbergCritic, Architecture

James HallAssistant Director, Museum Administration,RISD Museum

Pamela HarringtonDirector, Corporate Foundation + Government Relations, Institutional Engagement

Christina HartleyDirector, Alumni Relations + Special Events, Institutional Engagement

Elizabeth Hermann Professor, Landscape Architecture

Mara HermanoSpecial Assistant to the President

Peter HockingDirector, Office of Public Engagement

Kenneth HoriiProfessor and Coordinator, Foundation Studies

Jan HowardCurator of Prints, Drawings, Photographs, RISD Museum

Jason HuffDigital Media ’11, President, Graduate Student Alliance (2010–2011)

strategic planning network

Lucy HitchcockProfessor, Graphic Design

Anthony JohnsonDirector, Multicultural Affairs

Rebecca KingAssociate Director for Programs, Continuing Education

Alicia LewIndustrial Design ’11

Mike MergenPhotography MFA ’11

Naomi MishkinGlass ’11, President, Undergraduate Student Alliance (2010–2011)

Elizabeth MooneyIllustration ’12

Todd MooreProfessor, Foundation Studies, Faculty Steering Committee (2009–2010)

Carrie MoyerAssociate Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Painting

Lane MyerCritic, Sculpture

Ed NewhallDirector of Admissions

Andreas NicholasFilm, Animation, Video ’13

Margot NishimuraLecturer, History of Art + Visual Culture, Director, Academic Planning + Assessment

Maureen O’BrienCurator of Painting and Sculpture, RISD Museum


[6]

Kalya O’DonoghueIndustrial Design ’13

Patrice PayneTLAD MFA ’10

Sarah PeaseFirst Year Student, Foundation Studies

Jeffrey PenaArchitecture ’12

Patricia PhillipsDean, Graduate Studies

Jennifer Prewitt-FreilinoAssistant Professor, History, Philosophy and Social Sciences

Tom RobertsSenior Lecturer, History, Philosophy and Social Sciences

Wendy SellerAssistant Professor, Foundation Studies

Jessie ShefrinProvost

Jack SilvaAssociate VP, Facilities

Peter SimonIndustrial Design ’11, Student Research Assistant

Rosanne SomersonProfessor and Department Head, Furniture Design

Paul SprollProfessor and Department Head, Teaching + Learning in Art + Design

Pierre St-GermainExecutive Chef, Associate Director, Dining + Catering

Joanne StrykerDean, Foundation Studies

Judith TannenbaumRichard Brown Baker Curator of Contemporary Art, RISD Museum

Anne TateProfessor, Architecture, Director, City-State, The Urban Design Lab

Carol TerryDirector of Library Services

Willem Van LanckerGraphic Design ’10, Student Research Assistant

Barbara Von EckardtDean, Liberal Arts

Toussaint WallaceArchitecture ’13

Yi Doug WangPainting ’12

Kirchin WestonIndustrial Design ’11

Damian WhiteAssistant Professor, History, Philosophy and Social Sciences

Isaac WingfieldPhotography MFA ’10, President, Graduate Student Alliance (2009–2010)

Ann WoolseyInterim Director, RISD Museum

strategic planning network


[7]

Students/Faculty/Staff (Fall 2010)

Undergraduate students: 1,975 Graduate students: 431 Full-time faculty: 136 Part-time faculty: 400 (approx.) Faculty/Student ratio: 1:8.9 Staff (FT and PT): 456

Academic Programs and Accolades

• 13 degrees in 19 majors (3 UG only majors and 3 GR only majors)

• #1 top producing Fulbright institution in its category for 2010

• Ranked #1 graduate school in fine art category by US News & World Report in 2008

• Graduate Landscape Architecture program ranked #8; graduate Interior Architecture program #2; undergraduate Industrial Design #3; and graduate Industrial Design #5 by Design Intelligence in 2010

Museum

• 86,000 objects, housed in 5 buildings

• In 2009–2010, mounted 20 exhibitions and hosted more than 300 RISD classes

• In 2009–2010 hosted 16,000 schoolchildren

Library

• 145,000 volumes and 380 periodical subscriptions

• Noted artist’s book collection

• Visual resources: 165,000 slides, 500,000 images in picture collection, and 2,500 videos

Continuing Education

• In 2010, 697 courses taught by 300 faculty to over 5,000 students

Facilities

• 45 buildings (80% on the National Register of Historic Places)

• 378,370 net square feet of academic/instructional facilities

• 11,688 net square feet of student service facilities

• 1,400 beds

Financial Aid (Fall 2010)

• 8% of students received institutional aid

• Average amount of grant: $13,667

In the News (1st quarter 2010–2011)

• 1,053 articles referenced RISD

• 50 of these articles in international publications in 13 countries

Students

percentage of undergraduate students from Northeast: 45.88% South: 7.37% Midwest: 7.22% Southwest: 14.54% Northwest: 3.25% International: 21.75%

percentage of graduate students from Northeast: 44.76% South: 5.48% Midwest: 7.86% Southwest: 11.43% Northwest: 4.52% International: 25.95%

gender Male: 34% Female: 66%

ethnicity Multi-Ethnic: 3.68%, American Indian: 0.14% Asian: 14.53% Black: 1.65% Hispanic: 4.32% White: 35.42% International: 18.18% Undeclared: 22.08%

Undergraduate Enrollment by Major (2009)

Apparel Design: 82 Architecture: 133 Furniture Design: 52 Graphic Design: 199 Interior Architecture: 39 Industrial Design: 200 Ceramics: 9 Film/Animation/Video: 87 Glass: 12 Illustration: 274 Jewelry + Metalsmithing: 39 Painting: 109 Photography: 55 Printmaking: 61 Sculpture: 43 Textiles: 89

Graduate Enrollment by Major (2009)

Architecture: 105 Furniture Design: 12 Graphic Design: 35 Industrial Design: 20 Interior Architecture: 51 Landscape Architecture: 49 Ceramics: 12 Glass: 12 Jewelry + Metalsmithing: 12 Painting: 19 Photography: 12 Printmaking: 16 Sculpture: 14 Textiles: 12 Art & Design Education: 25 Digital Media: 29

Faculty by Rank (2009–2010)

Professor: 82 Associate Professor: 36 Assistant Professor: 15

Faculty by Gender (2010)

full-time Male: 57.35% Female: 42.65%

part-time Male: 55.8% Female: 44.2%

risd today: A Snapshot

Faculty Ethnicity (2010)

full-time White: 86.03% Black (non-Hispanic): 1.47% Hispanic (unidentified): 2.21% Asian: 8.82% Alaskan Native: .74% Other (non-Hispanic): .74%

part-time White: 89.5% Black (non-Hispanic): 1.10% Hispanic (unidentified): 3.59% Asian: 3.59% Alaskan Native: .55% Other (non-Hispanic): 1.66%

Staff by Gender (2010)

exempt staff Male: 39.89% Female: 60.11%

non-exempt staff Male: 46.27% Female: 53.73%

Staff Ethnicity (2010)

exempt staff White: 88.3% Black (non-Hispanic): 4.26% Hispanic (unidentified): 1.06% Hispanic (other): .53% Asian: 4.79% Other (non-Hispanic): 1.06%

non-exempt staff White: 85.09% Black (non-Hispanic): 6.83% Hispanic (unidentified): 4.66% Hispanic (other): .62% Asian: 1.55% Other (non-Hispanic): .93%

Trustees (34 in 2009)

gender Male: 59% Female: 41%

ethnicity White: 94% Black: 3% Asian: 3%


[8]

Countless external forces have a significant impact

on RISD’s future directions. The following STEEP

(Social, Technological, Environmental, Economic,

Political) analysis describes conditions and circum-

stances that have informed the strategic plan.

the world today: Challenging Realities

Social and Cultural Factors

• In 2009–2010, the number of international students in the US increased 2.9% over the previous year to 690,923 students. (Institute of International Education, Open Doors 2010, Fast Facts)

• Minorities, now roughly one-third of the US population, are expected to become the majority in 2042. (Population Division, US Census Bureau)

• A decline in college-age students is predicted between 2010 and 2020. (Population Division, US Census Bureau)

• New England and the northeastern states have shown the least population growth, and will see a consistent decline in the number of high school graduates of about 1% per year. (The Chronicle of Higher Education, “The Almanac of Higher Education, 2010–2011”)

• A college’s location and the geographic spread of its influence and recruiting area are the most significant factors in determining its flow of enrollees in the next decade. (Chronicle Research Services, “The College of 2010: Students”)

The influx of students from abroad is changing the makeup of

many college campuses, including RISD’s. In fall 2009, 431 inter-

national students representing 42 countries were enrolled at RISD,

comprising 18.26% of our total enrollment. Admissions officers

will soon notice changes in applicants due to considerable national

demographic shifts as well. The population decline in the North-

east, where RISD has traditionally recruited most heavily, is just one

shift that requires us to refine our recruitment strategies.

As the college-age population declines, in order to remain competi-

tive, RISD must also refine the message we send about the value

of art and design education. Furthermore, our applicants will be

growing ever more diverse, and our graduates will be entering

increasingly diverse work places, where their success will depend

on their ability to navigate cultures other than their own. RISD must

consciously examine its community identity in the coming years to

embody the best possible learning environment.


[9]

Technological Factors

• Between 2000 and 2010, Internet use increased by 79% for adults 18 and older and by 93% for teens aged 12–17. (Pew Research Center, Pew Internet and American Life Project)

• 75% of American teens between 12 and 17 own a cell phone, 63% of teens go online every day, and 66% use their phones to send and receive text messages. (Pew Research Center: Pew Internet and American Life Project)

• 7 of the world’s 15 most trafficked Internet sites are social sites and users spend an average of 5-6 hours daily engaged with media, an activity second only to sleeping. (World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010)

• Today’s high school students see their educational futures built entirely around technology and expect the use of mobile computing devices to extend learning and web 2.0 tools in their daily instruction. (Chronicle Research Services, “The College of 2010: Students”)

New and emergent technologies are continually changing the

way we communicate, making national borders more fluid, and

speeding up the decentralization of knowledge. In higher education,

technological advances are prompting a generation of college-age

students to demand new ways of teaching and learning. Online or

distance-learning programs are provoking new attitudes toward

higher education, encouraging a cafeteria-style approach in which

students can take classes at multiple institutions.

A RISD education in art and design is tactile and hands-on—

qualities that remain largely irreplaceable in the online environment.

While RISD is not as vulnerable to the call of online learning as

other institutions, our students are challenging RISD’s attitudes

towards technology in general, and are leveraging the web to navi-

gate the curriculum and registration, to communicate with each

other (e.g., the student-run online publication The All Nighter), to

make art and design, and to find funding for projects (Quirky.com).

Technological innovations are challenging educational methodolo-

gies worldwide today, and RISD must listen carefully to how our

students are using technology to take control

of their educations.

Environmental/Ecological Factors

• Over 90% of consumers say they would purchase sustainable products; 40% of the world’s waste comes from torn-down buildings. Thus building new LEED-certified buildings is only half the solution. (World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010)

• In a national survey of freshmen entering college in 2009, 26% said they considered involvement in environmental programs essential or very important to their college experience; 41.6 % considered adopting “green” practices to protect the environment important. (Cooperative Institutional Research Program at the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, “The American Freshman: National Norms for 2009”)

“ A RISD education in art and design is tactile and hands-on—

qualities that remain largely irreplaceable in the online environment.”

The generation that grew up watching Super Size Me and

An Inconvenient Truth is highly aware of the implications of their

actions as consumers and of their responsibilities as citizens of the

world. Rather than waiting for the world to wake up and improve

itself, college students today seek to become a global warning

system, alerting us to potential catastrophe should we let reckless

environmental practices continue. A Better World by Design, a

conference collaboratively organized by RISD and Brown students,

is an important example of ongoing grassroots efforts by our

students to raise the level of discourse and action in response to

changes in our world. Nurturing and advertising sustainability

efforts through both curricular and operational support will not

only serve our enrolled students but enhance our recruiting efforts.



[10]

“We are firmly committed to steadily decreasing

the rate of tuition increases so that talented young

people can afford to begin and complete their

education...”

Economic Factors

• The rate of growth in college tuition and fees continues to outpace median family income and the rise in costs of medical care, food, and housing. (The Chronicle of Higher Education, “The Almanac of Higher Education, 2010–2011”)

• In 2010, the average combined federal and private loan debt for a RISD undergraduate student was $35,994 (estimated $414 monthly payment over a 10-year period, or $249 over a 25-year period). For graduate students the average debt was $82,352 ($947 monthly payment over 10-year period, or $459 over 25 years). (RISD Office of Financial Aid)

• In December 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the jobless rate for Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree rose to 5.1%, the highest since 1970 when records were first kept. (Bureau of Labor Statistics News Release, December 2010)

The current planning effort has been undertaken during what has

been called the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,

underscoring the financial vulnerability of a tuition-dependent

institution like RISD. At the same time, the economic situation is

forcing unprecedented scrutiny of the cost and value of higher

education. President Obama has charged students to ask their

schools where their tuition monies go and to make schools

accountable for spending.

Despite these conditions, we know that a RISD education delivers

unique value and will remain extremely desirable. Academic rigor,

disciplinary depth, the culture of learning through critique, and

low faculty to student ratio are all distinctive qualities. At the same

time, we recognize that a RISD education could soon be beyond the

reach of many talented and qualified students and that even those

who complete a RISD education are often unable to find jobs. We are

firmly committed to steadily decreasing the rate of tuition increases

so that talented young people can afford to begin and complete their

education and to providing programs that help our students

to develop life and leadership skills.

Political Factors

• From 1988–89 to 1998–99 state tax appropriations for higher education per student declined 5%. By 2008–2009, appropriations were 12% ($1,100) lower in constant dollars than a decade earlier. (The College Board, “Trends in College Pricing,” 2009)

• Policymakers and the public have broadened the scope of accountability in higher education and expect institutions to provide more information on student completion rates, access, learning, cost-effectiveness, and productivity. (Association of Governing Boards, “Top Policy Issues 2009-2010”)

• State and federal policymakers expect more from higher education governance—more transparency, higher levels of engagement in institutional issues, and greater assurances of institutional accountability for both fiscal stewardship and academic success. (Association of Governing Boards, “Strategic Imperatives,” 2009)

• Per the current memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city of Providence, in FY2010 RISD made a voluntary payment of $170,627, on top of $548,290 in property tax. Rhode Island state legislation introduced in 2009 to subject additional property to tax and to create a so-called “student head tax” could cost RISD as much as $2 million more annually, if the legislation is re-introduced, passes both chambers and the Governor’s office, and is upheld.

As federal oversight of higher education policies regarding tuition,

financial support, access and accountability, and the size and shape

of state systems of higher education increases, RISD will have to

find ways to address new expectations and new limitations. For

example, new federal guidelines will redefine the national accredita-

tion process and also affect financial aid, as will the elimination of

the bank-based Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program and

continuing Pell grant shortfalls. Overall, increased cuts in federal

funding for education, particularly arts education, can be expected

in the coming year.

Across the country, academic institutions are feeling increased pres-

sure to work with cities and states to resolve budgetary shortfalls

by contributing to the local economy and increasing support of

K-12 education. Providence and Rhode Island need to balance the

immediate pressures of resolving budgetary issues with the long-

term economic benefit of RISD’s presence as the preeminent school

of art and design and its creative-workforce contributions to local

economic development.



[11]

About half way through the collective strategic planning process, the Summer Working Group identified the three

areas of strategic focus represented here as a means to realign the academic planning process more closely to

RISD’s mission. Education is of course at the heart of what RISD does, and already does so well. We know we

must support the collective creativity and innovation of our faculty to make our teaching and learning environ-

ment that much stronger. Likewise, in the next five years, we will build on our already active research initiatives

to create new systems for conceiving, funding, and organizing research endeavors across campus. Finally, RISD

will build on its history of meaningful engagement, as manifested through our research activities, our interna-

tional programs, and our commitment to our local and global community.

academic planning: Connecting Our Strengths

Education: Teaching and Learning

Disciplinary depth and rigor have always been

and remain central to RISD’s approach to teaching

and learning and are key factors in attracting the

best students and faculty. This plan ensures that

the disciplines at RISD have what they require to

continue to develop. At the same time it addresses

a clear need to complement our disciplinary depth

with interdisciplinary breadth. The complexities of

the 21st century demand that artists and designers

be able to work effectively across disciplinary bound-

aries in an ever-changing landscape. As such, we

must do more to prepare our students to compete

and contribute in multiple roles, fields, and arenas.

Past institutional plans, the NEASC & NASAD

Joint Visitor’s Report (2006), the 2008 Report of

the Academic Policies Sub-Committee on Inter-

disciplinary Studies, the Final Report of the Ad

Hoc Budget Committee (2009), and innumerable

cross-constituent conversations in the past year

have all pointed to the desire and need to promote

greater collaboration among departments, increased

opportunities for interdisciplinary study, and greater

choice for students in fulfilling the requirements for

a RISD degree. These joint calls for openness and

flexibility have in no way suggested diminishment

of RISD’s disciplinary emphasis or of the develop-

ment of our disciplinary bases. Rather, they advocate

for greater flexibility in departmental curricula

and increased programmatic support for interdisci-

plinary study, especially at the undergraduate level,

as a way to enhance disciplinary depth and rigor.

Several opportunities for interdisciplinary study at

RISD already exist and work well. Our Independent

and Collaborative Study (ISP/CSP) options fulfill

for many students the desire for self-directed—and

often interdisciplinary—study, as does the option

of enrolling in classes at Brown. We currently offer

concentrations in the areas of each of the three

Liberal Arts departments and have just begun

to explore the possibility of interdisciplinary

concentrations (e.g., in sustainability) that would

require coursework in several departments.

Cross-listed courses are one more area where

students from different departments work along-

side and interact with one another, and stand-

alone courses such as those supported by the

Kyobo Fund are usually very popular, although

few in number. Finally, our Graduate Studies

courses are by definition interdisciplinary.

Other opportunities for interdisciplinary study

have been problematic in various ways. The Inter-

disciplinary Study Option (ISO), which provides

for individually designed plans for cross-depart-

mental coursework that can count toward major

requirements, is rarely used and not promoted

in student advising. RISD does not offer studio

minors, and while there is a double-major option,

interest in which has been growing, it requires in

most cases at least one extra year of study and is

thus unaffordable for the majority of our students.

Even required cross-disciplinary work (non-major

studio electives, or NMSEs), are difficult for

students to fulfill, as access to other departments’

courses outside of Wintersession is limited, with

preference often given to majors. Finally, there is a

great imbalance across the sixteen undergraduate

departments in numbers of seats made available to

non-majors. Such structural barriers to access and

flexibility—including degree and major require-

ments that exceed NEASC and NASAD standards

for accreditation, lack of resources for faculty

and curriculum development, lack of facilities

and equipment for interdisciplinary and shared

curricula, and the limitations imposed by current

academic calendar and class schedules—have been

identified in the strategic planning process and

will be addressed in the academic initiatives.

Goal

Develop greater openness and flexibility in the academic program without compromising RISD’s immersive discipline- based education

Objectives

• To inform our increased interdisciplinary opportunities through ongoing discourse, programs, and initiatives around pedagogy, teaching, and learning

• To increase interdisciplinary and collaborative courses and programming

• To increase engagement with contemporary issues across disciplines

• To enhance support for faculty development of new curricular initiatives

• To offer greater student choice and agency

• To prepare students for diversified professional practice

• To support educational development of life skills necessary to navigate an increasingly complex world

• To develop a coordinated approach to facilities and upgraded technologies in relation to curricular advances


[12]

Research: Discovery and Knowledge

We understand research at RISD as a vehicle for

intellectual and creative discovery and innovation,

as a vital foundation for the development of the

curriculum and the enhancement of teaching and

learning, as one of the principal means through

which we expand the bases of our disciplines,

and as a route to fulfilling our responsibility to

contribute to public knowledge in a climate of

accelerating change. For RISD to take full advan-

tage of rapidly growing opportunities in this

area, we need to enhance existing support and

resources and build new systems for stimulation,

coordination, and oversight of research

activities across campus.

RISD has a long and rich history of support for

research, in the form of individual faculty grants

for professional development and academic

enrichment, support for Museum research on the

collections and for special exhibitions, partnered

studios with industry and non-profit organiza-

tions, and externally sponsored, project-based

research based on or off campus. Over the past

seven years, we have averaged between eight and

ten partnered studios per year, and this work

now regularly takes place across the Architecture,

Design, and Fine Arts disciplines, with potential

for increasing involvement from Liberal Arts. In

recent years we have also significantly increased

our externally funded research portfolio with

ongoing grants from NASA, the NEA, EPSCoR,

and other initiatives with the NSF, SBA, and

others. The strength of our disciplinary focus

depends on a longstanding commitment to

curriculum-based research and support for indi-

vidual faculty development in teaching, scholar-

ship, and creative practice.

These research activities have been supported

through a variety of institutional offices and

personnel. However, this work has never been

consolidated in a way that makes its full scope

visible to internal and external audiences nor

coordinated to better match faculty, staff, and

studentdemand with institutional capacity.

The creation of the Partnered Research Working

Group in 2008 is one example of how the dedica-

tion of faculty and staff resources to the develop-

ment of sustainable institutional support and

coordination can benefit and advance research at

RISD. To better manage awards and to support

and cultivate both individual and collaborative

research activities, we need to build a sustainable,

coordinated research infrastructure. Only then

will we be able to more fully realize benefits from

partnerships with other institutions of higher

education, non-profit organizations, industry,

and government. We would also further enable

disciplinary and interdisciplinary exploration and

collaboration, and would also benefit from new

forms of support for faculty curriculum

and research initiatives through external

funding sources.

RISD takes its obligation to contribute to public

knowledge seriously. With the growth of our

graduate programs over the last decade, an

increasing interest in partnered studios along

with the evolving expertise of our faculty, and

recent successful applications for significant

federal grants, we have many opportunities

to build capacity and develop new models for

research in art and design at RISD in both

curricular and co-curricular areas. These new

models for research would enable RISD to further

develop and advance art and design practices that

integrate with current critical areas of knowledge

production, such as Environmental Sustain-

ability, Health and Wellness, STEM to STEAM,

Visualization and Modeling, Materials Research,

and Education. As a premier institution of higher

education in art and design in the world, through

expanded connections to external partners and

audiences, we have an opportunity to position

RISD as an intellectual and creative leader in

emerging areas of art and design research and

education, deepening the experience and work of

students and faculty and advancing both local and

national agendas in our fields.

Goal

Strengthen the institutional culture and build a coordinated infrastructure for a sustained commitment to research.

Objectives

• To increase RISD’s capacity for the discovery, development, and contribution of knowledge

• To advance inquiry in art, design, architecture, and the liberal arts

• To promote greater cross-disciplinary collaboration

• To increase opportunities for faculty to conduct research within their fields, across disciplines, and with partners from other institutions, organizations, and agencies

• To enhance opportunities for curriculum and faculty development through externally funded research

• To increase opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to build research-based skills and competencies

• To foreground research as a central component of graduate education at RISD

• To expand professional networks and opportunities for students and faculty

• To make RISD’s research activities and contributions to public knowledge more visible internally and externally



[13]

Engagement: Local and Global

From its inception RISD has been committed to

meaningful public engagement. Today we define

this engagement as a form of ethical responsibility,

as a way to learn from and give back to our local

communities, and as a way to identify, shape, and

respond to emergent demands for innovation in art

and design worldwide. To fulfill the promise of our

founders and to advance our educational mission,

we need to increase access to and coordination of

local and global engagement opportunities and, to

the extent possible, better align these opportuni-

ties with the College curriculum.

Each RISD generation has redefined how it

connects with the world. In the School’s first

Circular of 1878, external engagement was envi-

sioned as service to the immediate Rhode Island

community, taking form as “public Art Education,

by the exhibition of works of Art and of Art school

studies, and by lectures on Art.” Today the idea

of engagement has greatly expanded. The inter-

national scope of contemporary art and design

and the critical and innovative roles that artists

and designers now play in economic, social, and

cultural development worldwide provide a context

in which engagement, even when locally focused,

is globally informed and relevant.

RISD’s local and global engagement takes place

in several realms—through the College and the

Museum and both within and outside of the

curriculum. Students, faculty, and staff engage with

neighboring Rhode Island communities through

initiatives sponsored by the Office of Public Engage-

ment, Project Open Door, Student Affairs, the RISD

Museum, RISD Continuing Education, Rhode

Island Campus Compact, and other individual

and community partnerships. Twenty-five to thirty

courses offered annually across all divisions address

issues of public concern and the responsibilities

of global citizenship. Programs such as Respond

Design, RISE (RISD Initiative on Sustainability and

the Environment), and A Better World by Design

provide hands-on opportunities to address local and

global challenges, especially in the areas of sustain-

ability and community development.

Equally essential to our development of critical

citizenship and our global character are our inter-

national programs and the international composi-

tion of our student body. Our European Honors

Program just celebrated its fiftieth year and now

sends close to fifty students each year to Rome. An

average of thirty-eight students per year study over-

seas for a semester at one of our forty-five partner

institutions in twenty-six different countries; over

150 students per year participate in Wintersession

Travel Courses to Europe, Latin America, Africa,

Asia, and the Pacific; and we enroll more interna-

tional students proportionally than most of our

competitor art and design schools.

We clearly have a strong base of individual initia-

tives, programs, courses, and venues for local and

global engagement. That said, participation in

such opportunities is low. For example, currently

only about 10% of our student body participates

in RISD-sponsored international travel or study

during their time here. Throughout the strategic

planning process the strength of our existing

international and public engagement programs

has been recognized, but to fulfill our respon-

sibility to educate informed and active citizens

of the world, these opportunities need to be

expanded, better coordinated and aligned with

our educational mission, promoted more widely,

and made more accessible to a larger

number of students.

Goal

Make engagement with community and the world more integral to a RISD education

Objectives

• To increase access to an expanded array of international and domestic off-campus experiences that are closely connected to educational objectives in the disciplines

• To expand and diversify opportunities for both students and faculty to learn about, participate in, and contribute to the public realm through service and engagement activities at the local, national, and international levels

• To enhance RISD’s reputation as a leader in critical discourse about the public role of art and design


“ To fulfill the promise of our founders and to advance our

educational mission, we need to increase access to and

coordination of local and global engagement opportunities...”


[14]

Academic InitiativesThe following proposed initiatives will support the ongoing work of discipline-based curricular development

within departments while acknowledging the importance of support for enhanced co-curricular activities. They

will expand opportunities for our students to explore interdisciplinary spaces, support the development of our

emerging culture of research and creative investigation, and strengthen RISD’s commitment to integrate local

and global engagement. In order to meet these three primary goals, we must strengthen our core teaching and

learning capacities by increasing the number of full-time faculty, developing funding for curricular development,

building opportunities for pedagogical innovation, and improving curriculum structure.

1. Increase the number of permanent full-time faculty positions.

scope: All current vacancies in permanent full-time faculty lines to be filled; addition of at least ten new permanent full-time faculty lines over five years of the Strategic Plan

source of funding: Combination of fundraising (including for endowed professorships/chairs), funds currently supporting term appointments, endowment earnings, and possible tuition revenue

steps: Initiate three to five searches per year (mix of vacancy replacements and new permanent full-time lines) at assistant professor level for the five years of the SP; determine areas and departments with greatest need for new positions; searches to proceed according to established guidelines for new full-time faculty hires

outcomes: Address current imbalance in full-time faculty ranks (i.e., currently 62% professor; 27% associate professor; 11%assistant professor); enhance capacity for faculty committee and departmental work, especially in regard to hiring, advising, teaching, and curriculum development and in fulfillment of strategic objectives; broader range of expertise among full-time faculty translates into greater flexibility for departments and greater choice for students

2. Increase funding to meet baseline needs for facilities, library acquisitions, technology, shop and laboratory staffing, and student employment in support of academic programs.

scope: Funding for library acquisitions and support for the following: academic IT staff as necessary, for technician staffing in shops and labs as necessary, for maintenance or upgrade of technologies, for student employment

source of funding: Possible endowment draw, reallocation and/or tuition revenue

steps: Evaluate current conditions and establish baseline needs for academic IT support, library acquisitions, for technician staffing in shops and laboratories, and for technology and equipment.

outcomes: Adequate support of our current and evolving technologies and library resources commensurate with the quality of academic programs; properly functioning and adequately staffed shops and labs to meet baseline needs at the minimum; improved compliance with national health and safety standards; opportunities for student employment that support student learning and needs of academic units



[15]

3. Establish a RISD curriculum development initiative to better fund curricular innovation in relation to both departmental and cross-departmental strategic objectives.

scope: Funding to develop new courses within, between, and across departments and to support related technology

source of funding: Aggregation of existing curriculum development funds (including Academic Enrichment and RISD Research Fund) combined with new funds generated from fundraising and possible tuition revenue

steps: Refine assessment function for academic programming in Academic Affairs to better determine size of demand going forward; refine scope of the initiative as needed over duration of the SP; implement in cooperation with deans, department heads and existing faculty committee procedures

outcomes: Departments able to strengthen existing curriculum and move into significant new curricular areas, such as sustainability; extra resources for investment in technologies necessary to support new kinds of courses; objectives in all three strategic academic goal areas supported


Academic Initiatives continued

4. Create a RISD faculty fellows program for the promotion of excellence and innovation in collegiate teaching in art and design, for faculty at all levels to build upon individual and collective pedagogical strengths.

scope: Providing time, compensation, and a guided framework for focused reflection on teaching practices and the development or re-design of courses and course materials for five to six faculty members per year; by the end of the five years of the SP, one or two members from each RISD department will benefit

source of funding: Partial reallocation of existing faculty development funds (the RISD Research Fund) combined with new funds generated from fundraising and possible tuition revenue

steps: Define the specific mechanics for facilitation, staffing, expectations, requirements, selection process, and sequence of development and implementation of program over duration of SP; refine through periodic assessment; develop means for resulting work to be shared within and outside of RISD

outcomes: Enhanced teaching skills to better meet demands and challenges in higher education in art and design in the 21st century; building upon relationship with the Sheridan Center at Brown, with a focus on art and design pedagogy at RISD as a unique area of research; enhanced learning experience for students; better support for individual faculty initiative to fulfill strategic objectives


[16]


5. The Office of the Provost, in collaboration with the Deans and faculty, will study how to optimize RISD's academic structure in relation to the following factors:

• The alignment of RISD and Brown academic calendars

• The restructuring of the semesters and Wintersession to achieve this alignment and meet accreditation standards

• The possible reduction of RISD graduation requirements for the BFA from 126 to 120 credits consistent with accreditation standards

• The reduction of minimum major requirements to allow for more flexibility where possible

scope: Has the potential to affect all members of the RISD community, with the specific actions dependent primarily on investment of administrative and faculty committee time

source of funding: No new revenue required

steps: Analysis, specific steps, and sequence of implementation for each recommendation in this area to be determined by Provost’s Office in consultation with deans, department heads, and faculty and where necessary presented to faculty governance committees and the faculty meeting for review and approval

outcomes: Expanded learning opportunities for students at both RISD and Brown and ease logistics of cross-registration; a return to the original intention of Wintersession as a space for focused exploration outside of the regular class routine for both students and faculty; reduction of credits required for graduation would ease pressure on Wintersession courses to fulfill extra credits required for graduation (120 credits can reasonably be completed within regular fall/spring semester structure)

6. Establish a program within Academic Affairs to support research and engagement in art and design. The program will provide centralized cultivation, facilitation, oversight, and assessment of research, creative investigation, and public engagement at RISD.

scope: Funding for a Senior Grants Administrator and half-time Research Finance Specialist in Academic Affairs budget to begin Wintersession 2011; funding needed for professional training and support of faculty and students; identification of responsibility and further staffing necessary for long-term, administrative stewardship of initiatives in these areas

source of funding: Reallocation of some existing funds (such as the RISD Research Fund); foundation, corporate and individual support; if successfully grown, program will support much of its own infrastructure

steps: Create research administrative function in Academic Affairs; establish means for faculty to acquire necessary skills for identification of opportunities, grant writing, grant fulfillment, and documentation; determine demand while refining and assessing program over the duration of the SP; implement in cooperation with existing support for externally funded research, curriculum development, community partnerships; leverage our membership in Campus Compact, the national service-learning organization, and benefit from their Rhode Island headquarters being housed on the RISD campus.

outcomes: Creation of a centralized research and engagement area that coordinates, connects, and encourages diverse forms of research and creative investigation, including public engagement; growth of research and engagement expertise, interest, and capacity among faculty and students; potential connection with teaching fellows program, curriculum development initiatives, development in the international area; recognition of a research culture that is distinct to RISD—one that connects in responsible and consequential ways with local, national, and global communities; preparation for professional practice; fulfillment of other objectives in all three academic strategic goal areas; enhanced visibility of RISD’s leading role in the discourse about art, design, and research in the world.



[17]

7. Develop focused strategy for RISD to strengthen existing opportunities for off-campus study and identify areas for strategic growth of RISD’s international and other study-away programs.

scope: To be determined by recommendations that emerge from focused planning in this area in the first year of the strategic plan.

source of funding: Funds allocated for curriculum development, existing funds for support of international study, and fundraising in context of international strategy; some initiatives in this area will not require new funding

steps: Develop plan for sustainability of EHP; re-evaluate international exchange program agreements and make recommendations for focus on a reduced number of key partnerships that support specific educational goals; examine demand and capacity for growth of travel courses; research demand for different kinds of study-away opportunities to include investigation of curricular barriers to travel and consideration of use of third-party providers; by end of first year of SP prepare a report on the preceding steps with recommendations for locations for potential growth of RISD’s international presence, alternatives to existing models for sited work that might be established in these locations, and more specific targets in line with national benchmarks for campus internationalization and reasonable expectations for growth at RISD; prepare any proposals to be brought to necessary faculty and administrative committees in second year of SP (For plan to establish scholarship for international and domestic travel for students, see under Students & Enrollment, Scholarships and Financial Aid Goal.)

outcomes: Domestic and international exchange programs that are more closely tied to curricular objectives; international and off-campus experiences more widely available for greater number of RISD students and faculty; identification of barriers; increase RISD’s profile in areas of the world where not currently represented; acknowledge and emphasize international scope of art and design in the 21st century; enhance opportunities for our students to connect with the world and become more aware and engaged citizens.




[18]

Operational planning is essential to developing a 21st-century RISD. We are recognized for our academic excel-

lence but we need to build agile operational systems commensurate with the quality of our education programs if

we are to sustain our long-term supremacy. Staff working in IT, facilities, financial aid, student life, and institu-

tional engagement—to name just a few—not only provide the groundwork necessary to achieve our ambitious

academic initiatives, but contribute to the broad RISD infrastructure that supports the whole RISD community.

By improving and aligning our operational systems to achieve greater accessibility and diversity, we advance our

educational quality, our financial stability, and our relevance to creativity in the world for many years to come.

IT, Administrative Services, and Facilities: Supporting Our WorkIT and administrative operations directly affect how well we support teaching and learning on campus.

Our current administrative information systems and business processes are significantly outdated and

our current administrative processes unnecessarily labor intensive. Upgrading our IT infrastructure will

result in a better teaching, learning, living, and working environment for students, faculty, and staff. In

a time of increased scrutiny from the federal government with respect to controlling costs, it will also

improve productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness, and help us better control operation costs. With the

Datatel project launched, the Budget and Facilities Councils formed, and HR’s training system in place,

we have already initiated many improvements.

operational planning: Completing Our Infrastructure

IT Goal (ongoing)

Develop an up-to-date IT infrastructure and implement the full functionality of the Datatel Student, Human Resources, Finance, and Institutional Engagement information systems. Adopt best business and IT practices throughout the support operations in order to improve service to students, faculty, and staff. Provide robust reporting and analytical capabilities.

objectives

• To improve academic planning and administrative functions across the institution by decreasing processing time and reducing paper-based operations

• To enable more systematic data collection, reporting, and analysis for more integrated, timely, and consistent institutional planning and budgeting

• To improve fundraising capacity through better alumni and donor data management

• To improve instructional technology across academic departments

• To build technology skills and capacity among all staff

actions

• Implement Datatel upgrades for Student, Human Resources, Institutional Engagement, and Financial systems, SQL database, Portal, and upgrade hardware over the next three years

• Staff IT, Enrollment Services, and Human Resources operations appropriately to successfully implement Datatel Enterprise Resource Program (ERP) system

• Redesign enrollment, human resources, finance, and business processes in line with best practices to increase automation, reduce process cycle time, improve customer satisfaction, improve reporting and analysis capabilities, and improve effectiveness of critical college support processes and functions

• Develop and implement technology training and development programs by working with Human Resources and expanding existing offerings not only in Datatel systems, but also with skills-based learning specific to improving processes and enhancing customer service

“ Upgrading our IT

infrastructure will

result in a better

teaching, learning,

living, and working

environment for

students, faculty,

and staff.”


[19]


Facilities & Sustainability Goal (ongoing)

Define the process and timeline for developing a Campus Master Plan. The plan will include the following analyses and components: quantitative and qualitative space analysis, facility condition analysis (deferred maintenance), utility infrastructure analysis, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, land use planning, student housing, and the relationship between the campus and surrounding areas. The plan will reflect the strategic priorities of the College, including the principles for sustainable development and operations of the RISD campus.

objectives

• To produce an evergreen multi-year capital budget and space accommodation strategy to support prioritized teaching/learning and residential facilities aligned with new master plan

• To improve space allocation and utilization for classroom, studio, exhibition, and other spaces

• To create shared spaces and provide equipment for collaborative and interdisciplinary work

• To reduce RISD’s carbon footprint

• To develop and implement financial strategies, including private fund raising, for resourcing the capital budget plan

actions

• Establish the Facilities Council to provide input toward the development of a Campus Master Plan, guided by the Strategic Plan and with input from other Presidential Councils; determine key facilities with fundraising potential for upgrades

• Consider capital priorities in fundraising feasibility study, and include capital projects accordingly

• Define and implement the facility planning process to develop a Campus Master Plan and multi-year capital budget and space accommodation plan

• Identify processes and organizational structure for implementing sustainability and green strategies recommended by the Sustainability + Environment Area Working Group

• Invest utility savings in projects that will reduce energy consumption and provide a return on investment; focus on projects with Return On Investment payback of ten years or less

Administrative Support Services Goal (ongoing)

Adopt and implement a framework for improving the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of critical support services to ensure students, faculty, and staff can easily and quickly get the information, goods, and services they need in a timely manner and at the lowest cost.

objectives

• To improve overall operational service efficiency and effectiveness

• To realize cost savings through better budgeting, business, and purchasing practices

• To provide technical tools, systems, and services to support RISD’s mission

• To minimize financial and other institutional risks

• To develop staff proficiency in operational process reengineering, project management skills, and leadership development

actions

• Establish Budget Council to propose alternative models for annual and multi-year budget planning that integrates strategic, enrollment, facility, and budget planning outcome: Produce integrated, evergreen multi-year financial plan; improve the overall financial health and strength of RISD; improve key financial ratios

• Identify measures/metrics to assess finances, operational processes, performance, outcomes, workplace climate, and customer satisfaction outcome: Provide critical data for planning and implementation of continuous improvement strategies

• Integrate Enrollment Services and Bursar function outcome: Streamlined operation resulting in faster, more efficient and effective service

• Provide full range of HR self-services, from recruitment to retirement outcome: Improve overall service to faculty and staff

• Provide infrastructure to implement best practices for purchasing, including full automation and strategic sourcing outcome: Reduce costs of goods and services purchased by RISD by 10-30%

IT, Administrative Services, and Facilities: Supporting Our Works continued


[20]

Students & Enrollment:Supporting Our StudentsRISD’s outstanding reputation has attracted the highest quality students for decades, but demographic

shifts demand that we examine our enrollment practices and student services to maintain the quality of

our student body. In addition to quality of programs and faculty, young people today consider a host of

other factors in choosing which college to attend, including cost, size, campus visit, services and ameni-

ties, and the ability to get jobs. The quality of services and support systems we provide on a residential

campus are a crucial part of students’ successful “co-curricular” learning. The NEASC Joint Visitor’s

Report (2006) cited the available level of personnel and services in areas of health, counseling, and

residential life as not having increased commensurate with growth in demand from the student body.

Our ability to continue recruiting, admitting, and retaining the best students is dependent on how we

respond to these and other environmental factors affecting student choice.

In the past few years, we have raised the highest number of six- and seven-figure scholarship gifts in

RISD’s history and have improved financial aid awarding processes. Under the leadership of the SVP of

Students and Enrollment, we are moving toward data-driven planning. Small victories like waiting lists

for courses in Wintersession 2011 were established to study demand for the first time. Student activities

and non-academic advising have been consolidated in Carr Haus and include new offerings in financial

literacy for artists and student mental wellness in place with funds raised from parents.

Despite these successes, our increased enrollment and the general change in the demographics of

the student population has necessitated support for a broader range of students and issues than ever

before—including multicultural and gender issues, career and developmental needs, life transitions,

disability support, stress, violence, and serious psychological problems—and is one of the major chal-

lenges facing college student affairs and counseling areas.


actions

• Establish the Enrollment Council to determine enrollment goals and implement the actions to achieve those goals

• Identify and implement strategies and programs that will impact number, type, and diversity of applications for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs

• Identify and implement strategies and programs that will improve retention rates across all classes

• Use enrollment data to plan for number of courses, seats, and space allocations per department

Enrollment Services Goal (ongoing)

Establish an integrated enrollment services operation to set and meet enrollment goals and to support academic program planning in each department and division.

objectives

• To determine the right size for RISD based on a holistic picture of student experience

• To identify, recruit, admit, and retain students who can be successful at RISD and can make lasting contributions to this learning community

• To contribute to better planning for courses, numbers of seats, faculty, and facilities by improving enrollment systems and using data-driven analysis

“ The quality of services

and support systems

we provide on a

residential campus

are a crucial part of

students’ successful

co-curricular learning.”


[21]


Scholarships and Financial Aid Goal (ongoing)

Increase scholarships and funding for financial aid. Improve leveraging of available funds. Improve methods for identifying ways to finance RISD education.

objectives

• To allocate financial aid resources to impact enrollment goals

• To move out of the lowest category in AICAD peer group for % of aid awarded

• To establish protocols for financing options for students and families, making the process more efficient and improving the student experience

actions

• Integrate technology into financial aid processing and services

• Raise scholarship funds continuous with the President’s highest fundraising priority of endowed funds for financial aid (*note: $2.5M already raised)

• Develop a process and supporting materials to explain financing options to students and their families

• Create a fund to support scholarships for international and domestic travel within an existing course or in stand-alone travel courses

Student Services Goal (ongoing)

Enhance the complete student experience by providing adequate support systems and ample opportunities for the development of life skills from recruitment to commencement.

objectives

• To design initiatives and programs to support students in the development of life and leadership skills and improve personal and mental health awareness so that students have the tools for personal, social, and academic success

• To build support structures for both curricular and co-curricular experiences including diversity initiatives that support religious life, Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender students, and students of color.

• To establish structures for centralized and local advising that will enhance student experiences in the space between academic and non-academic learning

• To develop internship, career, and community service opportunities for students by engaging alumni, current faculty, and area artists and entrepreneurs

• To create career opportunities for students and alumni within and outside of their RISD major to prepare for the challenges of the current economic situation

actions

• Develop a comprehensive plan to create/increase health, counseling, and disabilities services to support student academic success and personal wellness

• Expand offerings in financial literacy and technology-based skills development to support students entering the most difficult job market in recent history

• Introduce new web products and services to foster more fruitful connections between RISD students and potential employers

• Assess the quantity and quality of our residence halls and student living spaces to develop a renovation and facilities use plan

Students & Enrollment:Supporting Our Students continued


[22]


Institutional Engagement: Securing RISD’s Foundation

RISD’s ability to execute its ambitious plans will require a significant increase in funding during a

period of historically low philanthropic support. Despite a campaign that ended in 2006, overall cash

giving and unrestricted support have essentially been flat since 2003. Institutional Engagement will

need to fundamentally reconfigure its approach and strategy in order to go far beyond marginal perfor-

mance improvements and become an important contributor to the financial health of RISD.

Leadership Gifts Goal (ongoing)

Set a dramatically higher bar for annual receipts of six-figure+ commitments within the first one to two years of the strategic plan’s implementation, and ensure sustainable growth from that higher level.

actions

• Establish a strong and disciplined solicitation pipeline management system, which has not previously existed at RISD

• Directly connect gift officers’ goals and objectives to concrete solicitation plans around individual prospects

• Work closely with RISD’s academic and administrative leadership in shaping transformative gift opportunities at the $5M + level

Annual Giving Goal (ongoing)

Seek to double the amount of annual budget offsetting money raised (currently ca. $1.5M) within three to four years, thereby offering immediate increased support for the RISD budget, and establish that new level as the base for continued healthy annual growth.

actions

• Implement an annual and integrated marketing plan for all elements of direct outreach (mail, web, calling, etc.) that makes much greater use of effective segmentation and channel distribution opportunities (*note: RISD to date has never had a strategic annual marketing plan put in place for the Annual Fund)

• Double the number of $10,000+ annual donors within three to four years by dramatically increasing face-to-face solicitation of prospects at this level, creating enhanced stewardship, and creating current use giving opportunities around term scholarships (source: reallocation of staff time)


[23]

Advancement Services Goal (ongoing)

Leverage data to provide state-of-the-art reporting on fundraising performance and prospect/segment prioritization going forward, utilize best-practices individual prospect research to assist in solicitation of potential leadership donors, and provide the technical and reporting capabilities required to ensure strong stewardship, and thus retention, of donors.

actions

• Complete Datatel conversion with an especially strong focus on the system’s reporting capabilities

• Implement an external wealth-screening/constituent analysis of the entire database, offering increased ability to prioritize constituents by both capacity and likelihood to give at specific levels

Alumni Affairs Goal (ongoing)

Redirect resources so that alumni activities do more to engage and energize our graduates in ways that support the school’s priorities and connect alumni to current students. Leverage alumni accomplishments and distinctiveness to highlight and profile for the world at large the absolutely unique and powerful nature of RISD.

actions

• Initiate new alumni programming and interest groups that fully engage younger alumni, especially those engaged in “entrepreneurial” projects and undertakings

• Redesign “RISD by Design” and other alumni events to offer enhanced opportunities for alumni to engage with students, and to connect more directly to the school’s strategic plan and priorities

• Remove “Parent Programs” from the Alumni Association group’s area of responsibilities so that the team can focus exclusively on alumni engagement

Institutional Engagement: Securing RISD’s Foundation continued



[24]

A Learning Organization:Supporting Our Community

At RISD, teaching and learning happen not only in our classrooms and studios, but also in our galleries,

residence and dining halls, in auditoriums, and in our library and museum. Critical thinking and

making is practiced not only by students enrolled in degree programs, but also by the students of all ages

enrolled in our continuing education programs, visitors to the RISD Museum, and by our own faculty

and staff. We are committed to our mission of art and design education on and off our campus, in our

local Providence community and the state of RI, among alumni, parents, and friends across the globe.

In the 21st century, we are living in a world that is not just local or global, but “glocal”—and where differ-

ence rather than likeness is the norm. As such, the strategic planning effort is committed to cultivating

an environment of diversity and inclusion, to investing in the growth and development of our staff, and

to forging stronger connections with local and global networks through RISD|Continuing Education and

the RISD Museum.

diversity and inclusion

Past strategic plans have referred to the importance of building a diverse community of faculty, students,

and staff. We have long valued inclusion as an ethical imperative and have been working to demonstrate

this in our institutional policies and practices. In the past year RISD has manifested that value by admit-

ting a far more diverse entering class than ever before. In addition to striving for a community that is

truly representative of the world at large, we recognize that learning how to work across difference is

essential in our increasingly globalized world, and thus we commit to making diversity and inclusion

core and central to how we operate as an institution.

Institutional Diversity/Inclusion Goal (ongoing)

RISD will continue to create a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive campus climate where faculty, staff, and students represent and celebrate a broad, multi-dimensional concept of diversity and inclusion through programs and initiatives that foster inclusive dialogue and cross-cultural learning among students, faculty, and staff.

objectives

• To develop structures and processes for regular assessment and accountability with respect to supporting diversity

• To increase the diversity of RISD’s administrative and support staff, and trustees

• To increase both the visibility and celebration of diversity and inclusion on campus actions

• Establish the Diversity Task Force to assess existing processes, successes, and challenges; integrate diversity-related information generated during the strategic planning process; determine necessary structures to keep diversity initiatives and goals central to RISD’s mission

• Conduct institutional assessment of diversity, including internal policies and practices and external research including best practices

• Institute campus climate surveys to gather data on RISD’s inclusive practices toward creating a climate that allows all students, faculty, and staff to study and work to their highest potential

• Require all searches to file a diversity search plan to increase the diversity of the hiring pools of faculty and staff from underrepresented groups and continue to build the administrative infrastructure to support diversity initiatives and the needs of junior faculty from traditionally under-represented groups (e.g. assess, develop, and adapt mentoring programs)

• Introduce a required diversity component to student, faculty, and staff orientations and engage the campus community in ongoing diversity discussions and programming

• Develop staff and faculty infrastructure to support students who are differently-abled both physically and mentally

“ We are committed to

our mission of art and

design education on

and off our campus, in

our local Providence

community and the

state of RI, among

alumni, parents,

and friends across

the globe.”



[25]

professional learning and development

Lifelong learning and professional development for our community is consistent with our mission. As a

learning organization of the 21st century, we need to expand on established programs for staff learning to

achieve greater efficiencies, greater collaboration, and ultimately greater career advancement opportunities.

Professional Development Goal (ongoing)

To offer a variety of learning opportunities that support the mission of the College, encourage and promote lifelong learning, and provide professional, managerial, and personal development to all employees. We already do this through HR RISD Learns and RIHETC (RI Higher Education Training Consortium), which give employees opportunities to develop skills in the areas of systems, supervisory, and managerial development. Many of the following actions can be completed using existing resources.

actions

• Develop a training program for managers that establishes core management competencies (e.g., setting goals, driving performance and accountability)

• Provide and require Legal Liabilities of Supervision training for all supervisors and managers (either in classroom or through web-based program) to ensure they are identifying and preventing sexual and other forms of harassment and discrimination at the College

• Provide and require diversity/inclusiveness training to all managers to foster, support, and sustain a more creative, inclusive, respectful, and productive workplace

A Learning Organization:Supporting Our Community continued

continuing education

At its beginning, RISD offered numerous ways for the public to engage in art and design education

through its Day, Night, and Saturday courses. This educational tradition continues in the specialized

curricula offered by RISD|Continuing Education (RISD|CE).

RISD|CE Goal

To define a new intellectual mission that serves as a model for lifelong learning locally and globally and ultimately makes continuing education at RISD an integral part of the national discourse on educational reform.

actions

• Collaborate with RISD faculty and staff to develop new programs that fuse art and design thinking with education, business, economics, science and engineering, and other domains

• Participate in state and federal policy meetings to communicate the importance of critical making and thinking in all aspects of education

• Begin larger conversations with Rhode Island continuing education units about intellectual growth and contributions to lifelong learning

• Seek funding for experimental modes of informal learning in order to extend the reach and scope of teaching and learning platforms



[26]

the risd museum

For over 130 years, the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design has built and continues to

build a multifaceted collection of international importance through the generosity of the community.

Recognized as a leading cultural resource for the city, state, and region, The RISD Museum educates

and delights schoolchildren, college students, adults, and families through its permanent collection,

exhibitions, and programs. For many, it is the face of RISD, where the community and the college come

together to experience art. Here, art of the highest quality, both historic and contemporary, inspires

developing artists and designers alongside the general public.

RISD Museum Plan

The Museum recently completed its own planning effort in accordance with requirements for accreditation. Several elements of its plan are in natural alignment with the College’s goals to enhance local and global connections. These are listed here as a selective, partial list of actions.

actions

• Plan innovative programs for diverse audiences, including school children and general visitors, which use object-based learning to encourage new insights and skills

• Continue to offer learning opportunities for RISD students and those from other schools of higher education

• Develop opportunities for public engagement around art and design for RISD students and faculty

A Learning Organization:Supporting Our Community continued


connecting the dots: risd's strategic plan (draft)

Documents

risds strategic plan

multiyear financial

operational areas

budget process

operational initiatives

strategic planning effort

academic areas of focus

board of trustees