RISD Unhinged

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>Just visited my daughter at RISD for parents weekend and was shocked to see the faculty in full scale protest. Apparently RISD gave one of their board members an interest free 300K loan to renovate his house and will not give the faculty a decent contract. Seems almost unbelievable, so if you don't believe me see this link.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.abc6.com/engine.pl?station=wlne&id=22261&template=breakout_story_local_news.shtml&dateformat=%25M+%25e,%25Y%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.abc6.com/engine.pl?station=wlne&id=22261&template=breakout_story_local_news.shtml&dateformat=%25M+%25e,%25Y&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The freshman dorms are also is a sad state for a school that charges such high tuition and gives very little back in scholarships.</p>

<p>The faculty's protest posters read - "RISD is a first class school that treats their students and faculty like second class citizens."</p>

<p>All this has led me to believe that RISD is really adept at marketing themselves (something I initially applauded them for since, in most cases you eventually have to learn to market your art or skills). Their president even won a 'Marketer of the Year Award' in 1983</p>

<p>It's well known RISD receives huge endowments (RISD’s endowment, which has nearly tripled to more than $220 million) but gives very little back to the students. Why? </p>

<p>The whole thing just left a very sour taste in my mouth. I expected better from RISD because they said they were better. I spoke to a faculty member who been teaching there for 20 years and was forced out on the street with a protest sign. He was the first person at RISD I spoke to after arriving for what was intended to be a weekend for parents to experience what RISD was all about.</p>

<p>I you are thinking of attending RISD check out the freshman dorms, ‘all’ of them because they are very different (and don't let them tell you they can't show them to you because of security) and talk to the faculty, not just the department heads, to find out why they are being treated unfairly.</p>

2

<p>I've just been talking to a former grad student there, who actually recommended that I NOT have RISD as my top choice school, because she hates the new program head there! Funny to have been reading that email, and then log in here to see this. Everyone's been saying I should apply to RISD, and now these bits of info make me feel safe in my decision not to.</p>

3

<p>Funny, this year I bumped into several knowledable artistic professionals who stated that they too didn't advise RISD. I don't know why they felt this way though. Personally, I like MICA over RISD IF it weren't located in the area of Baltimore where it currently is or would have preferred MICA if it was part of a college such as Hopkins or Towson. I guess many of these stand alone art schools have pros and cons.</p>

4

<p>certainly looks nice to me. My son has been there since late August and he is having a wonderful experience, but apparently the issue of safety is still a big concern, especially with the female students. Although Bolton Hill itself is very charming, things get dicey in a hurry to the north and west of the campus. They do have a shuttle bus, and certainly make safety a big issue.</p>

<p>According to my son, the two or three petty crimes he has heard about all occured in the wee hours more than a few blocks from the dorm, but that might not be comforting enough to prospective students and their parents.</p>

<p>Anyway, in light of what I'm hearing about RISD, I'm doubly glad my kid is at MICA. The freshmen dorm suites (and food) are great, and there seems to be a good esprit de corps among faculty, from what I could tell at last year's open house. The visit to RISD did not include a look at dorms (security issues), whereas MICA was very happy to show it's residence halls.</p>

5

<p>Make no mistake, the faculty at RISD is first rate. In fact, it's the faculty and the way they think and teach that separates it from all other schools like MICA. And, there is plenty of esprit de corps among them - that's the reason they are fighting together for a fair contract. It's the administration that they have an issue with - and where the money is being spent. </p>

<p>There are a lot of art schools but there's only one RISD and it's because of the faculty, not the food or the dorms (the food's actually pretty good). The new housing for sophomores, by the way is unmatched, even by MICA which has very nice housing indeed - it's just some of the RISD freshman halls that need updating.</p>

<p>And the area of Providence that is home to Brown and RISD will never need defending.</p>

6

<p>Yes, I did try the food,which was first-rate, although a bit pricey. I also agree that Providence is a terrific city for a student.</p>

7

<p>"There are a lot of art schools but there's only one RISD"</p>

<p>I am glad you like the school, but this sounds like marketing to me.</p>

<p>I have issues with the MICA housing in the Commons. The bedrooms are claustrophobic, and you have to bring your own desk! Fitting two desks in a double bedroom is an architectural logistics challenge.</p>

<p>I will give RISD the location edge over MICA...</p>

8

<p>didn't mean to impugn RISD faculty (or it's food).</p>

<p>taxguy brought up the subject of MICA safety and I was primarily responding to that in my post. while i was at it, i seconded his notion that MICA compares favorably to RISD in some regards, but that's just an opinion.</p>

<p>no doubt RISD has the marketing magic though.</p>

9

<p>I too was at the RISD parent's weekend. </p>

<p>The faculty demonstrations though did not capture my interest as much as the new library and 15 West dorm facilities which are first rate. RISD also has many plans for expansion and owns a number of buildings in Providence that it will use in the future. A new student center is being constructed.</p>

<p>We also ate lunch with a dean ( a film professor) and found out about the depth of commitment that the adminstration has to students. He sought out my daughter and offered to answer any questions about her choice of major, or career opportunities.</p>

<p>My daughter lives in the freshman Quad, and has no complaints. She rates her teachers well, and is inspired by them and the work (which is constant - students were at work from morning til night).</p>

<p>We attended faculty presentations from a number of areas (as a means for my D to understand what major to pick), and the work shown was first rate. Faculty and Department heads were friendly and available to answer her questions.</p>

<p>Just as many perceive the adminstration to be great marketers, I perceive the faculty to have used the event to air their views to parents as opportunistic. In the end all large institutions have issues of funds allocation, and faculty salaries are but one element that must be balanced with short and long term needs.</p>

<p>As one parent said - "What do they expect more tuition from us? Why can't they just let us enjoy the time with our kids."</p>

<p>At the end, I found the faculty demonstrations petulant and whiny, but when engaged about their subjects , they did not let these issues get in the way of helping both parents and students. That I believe is what really makes RISD work.</p>

10

<p>I was certainly not trying to bash RISD, either. I'm just getting tired of people pushing me to apply there when it really doesn't seem to be a good fit for me. I'm tired of explaining it, and on some level am happy to find that this isn't the perfect school for everyone else either.</p>

11

<p>I too just returned from RISD’s Parents Weekend and saw the faculty protest. I have a different take on it, because it was discussed at length at the Parents Council meeting on Sunday morning. I have more background information and in particular, I have heard the other side of the story.
Many parents were concerned about the very conspicuous display of faculty discontent, since the talented faculty is clearly one of the major draws of the school, and they raised this concern at the Parents Council meeting. RISD President Roger Mandel and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Clara Dale were both present. They were not free to provide specific details since the contract negotiations with the faculty are still ongoing, but they were quite open as to what was happening. These “protests” are essentially a union tactic to strengthen its position at the bargaining table. They are seen every three years (the faculty contracts come up for renegotiation every 3 years) and always take place during Parents’ Weekend – when they obviously will draw the most attention. Not every faculty member – or even the majority of faculty members – are as unhappy as the protest signs seem to imply. In fact, RISD faculty are generally paid more than their counterparts at peer art schools. I personally talked to several faculty members after the meeting and they admitted the signs were more “for show” rather than expressing true feelings. The administration has not yet made a final offer, and the teachers know they will be getting a salary increase – it’s just a matter of where the final number will be.
And the interest-free loan -- supposedly an example of how the school is ripping off teachers – was simply part of the compensation/relocation package negotiated with the newly-hired administrator. I have frequently seen similar benefits given by companies in my own industry to attract top level personnel. It has nothing to do with faculty salaries and is being taken out of context.
As for where money is being spent, RISD just completed its first major capital campaign – exceeding the $85 million goal by $20 million. That shows a lot of support for the school. Most of that money is earmarked for specific construction projects – like the new Fleet Library, housing for 500 students in the renovated 15 West Building, and the future Chace Center – and other specific areas (including scholarships, academic and museum programs, technology, etc.). Over $3.2 million was raised just for faculty/curatorial endowments, so the faculty will be benefiting directly from that, in addition to normal salary increases.
I continue to be impressed by RISD – its faculty, its programs, its facilities. My son is getting an excellent education there and he absolutely loves it there. But I agree that it’s not for everyone. So if you don’t think it’s the place for you, just ignore any pressure from other people. You need to find the school that fits YOU!</p>

12

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<p>I disagree. First of all the faculty protesters did not present the loan as 'ripping off teachers'. They presented is as a choice made by Mandle to give the money and incentives to the administrator rather than the faculty or students. It has everything to do with salaries because there's only so much money available and their point was, he's getting it - not them. It's sleazy in the corporate world when executives are over-paid and over compensated and its sleazy here too.</p>

<p>And its the same faculty that everyone appears to be impressed with, that is being called whiners and union bullies. Same person teaching your child is carrying the sign. They're impressive, but yet they're not impressive.</p>

<p>I think in the end they are impressive and that you should keep that in mind when asking yourself why they are standing out in the street with protest signs at one of the top art schools in the country.</p>

13

<p>To bladeofgrass:</p>

<p>Please note that I have never called RISD faculty members “whiners and union bullies” or implied that they were unimpressive. I have nothing but the greatest respect for them both as artists and as teachers. That doesn’t mean, however, that I should automatically take their side in a labor dispute.</p>

<p>As for the loan being presented as “ripping off teachers,” that is indeed exactly how it was being presented on at least one of the protester’s signs. I find it interesting that you immediately jumped to the conclusion that the administrator in question is overpaid and overcompensated and therefore the loan is “sleazy.” Since RISD’s salary scale is already higher than that of most of its peer schools, why don’t you automatically assume that the faculty is overpaid and overcompensated too?</p>

<p>President Mandel does not single-handedly set the budget for RISD; priorities and allocations are established by the Board of Trustees. The school has limited resources, to be sure, and as you pointed out, choices have to be made. You should also know that the majority of the money coming into RISD – other than tuition and fees – represent restricted funds. The donors have directed that their gifts be spent on specific projects or in certain areas – for example, the library, the museum, scholarships, etc. and that money can’t legally be spent on something else.</p>

<p>I am not asking myself why some faculty members are standing out on the street with their protest signs; I already know why. Posturing on both sides is pretty much standard practice at the outset of many contract negotiations between labor and management. (And just for the record, I have personally been involved in several such situations -- as a union member!) I firmly believe that a mutually acceptable compromise will soon be found so that the teachers can go back to teaching and RISD can continue to nurture the creativity of its aspiring artists and designers.</p>

14

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<p>Here's some information you may not know.</p>

<p>The faculty has been without a contract for 9 months. The starting salary for part-time faculty at RISD is $36,000. The administration is trying to reduce it. The $300k loan was interest free taken from RISD funds (from our tuition money) and given for the purposes of a private residence renovation.</p>

<p>To paraphrase a faculty member "Something does not smell right".</p>

<p>Obviously, as a parent on the outside, I don't have the full story. If anyone has information to the contrary, please share it.</p>

15

<p>Just an update for anyone who might be interested. Tonight RISD's Full-Time Faculty Association ratified a new contract. There will be no strike.</p>

16

<p>I'm a RISD sophmore and I work in the Development office for my work-study job. People talk about RISD being such a rich school and all that, but we are actually relatively poor! I know because I am the kid on the phone begging parents and alumni for money!</p>

<p>Our endowment pales in comparison to most liberal arts schools of our rank.</p>

<p>I got a $12,500 scholarship and I know a lot of other kids who got similar awards, or even bigger, so I don't understand this thing about RISD not giving out aid. I think RISD's philosophy is to give the money to the kids who need the money most, rather than give everybody a little bit.</p>

<p>Oh, and the faculty are awesome. We love them.</p>

17

<p>"People talk about RISD being such a rich school and all that, but we are actually relatively poor! I know because I am the kid on the phone begging parents and alumni for money!"</p>

<p>"I got a $12,500 scholarship and I know a lot of other kids who got similar awards, or even bigger, so I don't understand this thing about RISD not giving out aid."</p>

<p>~~~~~~~~~</p>

<p>No offense, but your point of view on this is a bit myopic. Of course SOMEBODY is going to be manning the phones asking for aid. In fact there are undoubtedly a whole lot of somebodies. You should see the stack of mail I get from Washington University BEGGING for money. Have you ever listened to NPR when they WEREN'T begging for money? My point....... begging and success (even affluence) are not necessarily mutually exclusive concepts.</p>

<p>And NO, RISD is NOT relatively poor, as far as Art/Design schools go.</p>

<p>And likewise, just because you and some of your friends got scholarships, doesn't mean they are generous about distributing aid. The anecdotal evidence on this board certainly suggests otherwise, although honestly, I don't know where to find ACCURATE info on distribution of aid, cutoff thresholds and the like. ("Peterson's College Money Handbook" is incomprehensible to me, and certainly didn't anywhere near reflect the offers that my son received from all the schools that accepted him).</p>

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<p>Pocketdictionary,</p>

<p>Are you talking need based money (based on EFC) or merit money?</p>

<p>When most people says RISD doesn't give money, they are usually talking about merit.</p>

19

<p>Just a couple of notes of clarification:</p>

<p>The faculty do not "protest" every three years during contract negotiations. This year marked the first time I have ever known the faculty to publicly express their dissatisfaction over negotiations and (as far as I know) we have never staged anything to deliberately coincide with RISD By Design Weekend. There is always signficant wrangling with the administration over securing a fair contract, however. Worried Mom, if you were told that these "protests" are par for the course, someone wasn't telling the truth.</p>

<p>Bladeofgrass, I'm not sure where that $36,000 per year salary figure comes from, as RISD's part-timers are paid by the class and are not salaried employees.</p>

20

<p>I am a RISD student, and like someone said, RISD is not for everyone. It is for a very specific type of student. Indeed, right now Roger Mandle is a hot topic on campus, and it is not only the teachers who are disatisfied. President Mandle has done a great deal to improve the school, and so can not be completely discounted as an administrator. But the teachers are not without reason to be disgruntled. </p>

<p>I think that the reasons to choose RISD are obvious, the reasons not to are not as much. Do not choose RISD if:</p>

<p>You are not focused or may change majors - RISD's education is very specific beyond freshman year, and you can easily wind up staying extra years if you change your mind.</p>

<p>You want to learn a lot about computers undergrad - this is not a tech school. What they teach are methods and ideas about art and design, not how to use various computer programs.</p>

<p>You like being anonymous - this is a small school, and people will know who you are, what you are about, and expect you to attract attention to yourself. Confidence is essential, as the school is extremely competitive.</p>

<p>You are not discriminating - people who go to this school tend to be less on the friendly side. Or they are friendly once they know you well. Cliques are hard to inflitrate once formed. They like people who are more or less perfect, unoffensive, or have a vision that they want to share with the world. You can be offenive if you are funny or are looking for attention. If this is not you, or you prefer normal people, watching the shows high-brow people are against, or think intelligence is not dependent on the way you act, you might have a hard time enjoying all the benefits RISD has to offer.</p>

<p>In short, being talented or intelligent has nothing to do with being comfortable at RISD. You must be that certain kind of independent personality that is looking to conform to a group and separate yourself from other artists by being more discriminating, more competitive, and more beautiful over all.</p>