Institutional Statements
At Rhode Island School of Design, we teach artists and designers to think critically about complex world events, and we foster an environment that enables students to engage in conversations that are informed, empathetic, and collegial–even if challenging–with those whose viewpoints may or may not be similar to their own.
RISD will only make statements on issues that directly affect its mission and operations, when making a statement is believed to positively affect RISD's mission and operations, as determined by RISD leadership. Whether or not we issue a statement, RISD will continue to offer students and community members opportunities to learn, spaces to gather, moments to grieve, and opportunities to engage with each other amid the many injustices our world faces.
To fulfill our mission, foster critical thinking, create a community of care, and cultivate an environment of civil engagement and free artistic expression, we can and will affirm that RISD is a place where:
- We value the material practices of artists and designers as principal modes of engagement with the wider world.
- We value experimental, contextual and culturally diverse methods of creative practice and rigorous scholarship as essential ways of creating knowledge and engaging with complexity and uncertainty.
- We value a classroom, studio, and campus environment that advances principles of social equity and inclusion, environmental and climate justice, and equal access to resources and opportunities.
Approved by Oversight Committee on April 21, 2025 as designated by the Board of Trustees at the February 2025 meeting.