Guide to the Rhode Island School of Design. Office of Academic Affairs. Committee records, 1947-2007

Series I. Committee files
Correspondence, memoranda, agendas, minutes, reports and studies, surveys, publications, and meeting notes taken by Academic Affairs officers document the actions of administrative, faculty, and trustees committees, 1959-1996. File titles may include the names of committee chairs. The files compliment the Committee Minute Books maintained by Academic Affairs and committee records held by the President’s office.

Committees documenting academic policies and procedures include the Academic Council (1983-1995), Curriculum Committees (1966, 1973-1975, 1985-1988), the Instruction Committee (1967-1989), the Trustees’ Education Committee (1965-1978), and its successor, the College Council (1980-1987). The previous College Council (1966-1975) served as an administrative committee for the Dean of the College and the Division Chairs.

The Campus Master Plan Committee (1994-1996) documents the creation of RISD: Campus Master Plan under Chan Krieger and Associates. Earlier planning committees include the College Planning Committee (1970-1971) and the Strategic Planning Committee (1985-1990). Events documented include RISD’s Centennial celebration (1977-1978), President Roger Mandle’s inauguration (1994), and the What Cheer Garage renovation (1989-1991). The blueprints for the renovation proposal are stored separately. Records for the Committee on Faculty Appointments and its predecessors are kept in the Office of Academic Affairs.

The materials are arranged alphabetically by committee.

These materials are closed for 20 years after creation. The file: Financial Aid Committee, 1978-1985 (10/1) is closed for 72 years to protect student privacy.

Series II. Dean’s Advisory Committee minute books
Minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports, and memos document the activities of the Dean’s Advisory Committee, 1947-1962. Dean Max W. Sullivan created the committee April 1947, comprised of the Division Chairmen, Registrar, Dean, and Director of Admissions, to discuss curriculum, degree lists, and educational procedures. The committee was to serve as a successor to the Faculty Council’s Curriculum Committee (10.1).

Registrar George L. Bradley chaired the monthly meetings (1948-1955), which under his guidance dealt primarily with student records: probation lists and change of grades. Additional subjects included curriculum discussions, course schedule changes, prizes and scholarship funds, and lists of degree candidates. President John R. Frazier served as Chair, 1955-1960, instituting weekly and bi-weekly meetings and an issues oriented agenda supported by reports from faculty and staff on educational procedures, curriculum, academic structure, and student conduct. Dean of the College David L. Strout served as Chair, 1960-1962. The committee disbanded with the reorganization of administrative-faculty committees in 1962.

The Dean’s copies are from Acting Dean William F. Balch, 1949-1951; Dean of Students Frances J. Deignan, 1951-1960; and Dean of the College Strout, 1960-1962. Elisabeth Booher, Secretary to the Dean and Assistant to the President, 1950-1955, prepared the Draft minutes.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

These materials are closed for 72 years due to the inclusion of student academic records.

Series III. Academic Council minute books
Minutes, handwritten notes, memoranda, and draft reports with notations document the work of the Academic Council, 1960-1962. Organized in September 1960 as a clearinghouse for all Faculty committees, the Council included the committee chairs, the Executive Secretary of the Faculty, and a recording secretary. Meeting before each faculty meeting, the Council organized agendas, reviewed reports, and discussed issues before the faculty. The 1961-1962 Council drafted two major reports, "Policy on Appointment, Promotion and Tenure at RISD" and "Rough Draft Proposal for Faculty Participation in the Government of the College."

See also the Faculty Meeting minutes, 1958-2004, and Tenure, 1959-1963, which documents the work of the Faculty-College Relations Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee on Tenure and Faculty Government.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

Series IV. Ad Hoc Committee on Summer Program minute books
Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, survey responses, notes, drafts, proposals, and reports document the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Summer Program, 1961-1962, successor to the Faculty Committee on Education Objectives. The committee studied programs and drafted proposals for summer programs for transfer students, high school students, and Architecture students. The committee elicited survey responses and correspondence from high school principals, art teachers, and guidance officers regarding a summer program. They received correspondence and brochures from institutions with existing programs including the Wisconsin Art Education Association's schedule and student handbook for their summer program.

The series includes the report: Team B - Summer School, January 1961, one of a series of spot-check reports instituted by Dean Strout September 27, 1961. See Academic Affairs Subject files, Dean's Reports, 1961; Museum, 1961-1987; Night School, 1961 for similar reports. See also the minutes of the Dean's Advisory Committee, 1961-1962.

Series V. College Council minute books
Agendas, minutes, memoranda, correspondence, draft proposals, and reports document the work of the College Council, 1966-1974. Established in 1964 by the President and Executive Committee, the Council, comprised of the Dean of the Faculty/College and Division Chairmen, considered academic and administrative policies not under the purview of the Education Committee and the President's Advisory Committee. Minutes are nearly complete for weekly/monthly meetings, 1970-1974, with few remaining for 1966-1969. Subjects included building hours, academic calendar, independent study requests, visiting committee schedules, the development of Film Studies (1969), and the Faculty Handbook (1969).

The Board of Trustees expanded the Council in 1971 to include the President, Treasurer, and Dean of Students. The Council was charged with overseeing the total educational program of the college and coordinating the work of the academic committees. The faculty conference resolutions (1972) dominated the Council's work, 1972-1973. The Council did not meet after June 1974 because the Dean believed its size to be unwieldy. The Dean and Division Chairmen began to meet as a separate group in 1973. See Division Chairmen Meetings, 1973-1978.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

Series VI. Division Chairmen minute books
Agendas, minutes, memoranda, correspondence, draft proposals, and reports document the work of the College Council, Agendas, minutes, memoranda, reports, and proposals document the activities of the Division Chairmen's meetings, 1973-1978. The Dean/Provost, Associate Dean/Provost, Division chairmen, and occasionally President Rantoul met weekly/monthly to discuss academic and administrative policies, continuing the work of the College Council. Subjects considered included the academic calendar, space and scheduling issues, budgets and salaries, building hours, Faculty Handbook (1974), summer session requirements, the European Honors Program, the Committee on Faculty Appointments, the possible creation of a faculty union (1974), Wintersession, and sabbatical requests. Minute books for 1978-1981 have not been located; however, see Subject files for Vice-President for Academic Affairs Andrew Ford's notes. See Academic Council Minute books, 1981-2004 for later meetings.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

Series VII. Provost’s Staff Meetings minute books
Minutes, agendas, and memoranda document the activities of the Provost's Staff weekly meetings held September 19, 1977 - January 16, 1978. Instituted by Acting Provost Bruce Helander, the meetings included Acting Associate Provost Fenno Hoffman, Dean of Students Caroline Davies, Associate Dean of Students Marjorie Newman, Registrar Barbara Claeson, and Student Activities Director Gordon Allen. The meetings focused on issues affecting students including housing regulations, alcohol use policy, Health Service, dormitories and their maintenance by the Physical Plant department, Student Affairs, Wintersession, grades, and the student newspaper the RISD Press.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

Series VIII. Instruction Committee minute books
Minutes, agendas, memoranda, motions, reports, department reviews with CVs, syllabi, projects, and tests, proposals, and curricula document the work of the Instruction Committee, 1962 to the present. Created in 1962 as the successor to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee (1957-1962), the committee reviews degree requirements, academic standards and policies, and programs which contribute to earning degrees, studies new course and program proposals, presents reports to the Faculty, and oversees Wintersession course programs. The Faculty created the Academic Policies and Curriculum Subcommittees in 1981 and the Wintersession Subcommittee in 1985.

Minutes include discussion of individual students' academic performance (1962-1965), a responsibility transferred to the Academic Performance Subcommittee (1964-1976) for all but exceptional cases, then to the separate Academic Standing Committee in 1976. The committee reviewed and authorized curriculum until 1969 when the responsibility was given to the Division Chairmen. The committee served as an advisory body to the Dean and Chairmen discussing and proposing changes in academic policies, particularly grading procedures (1969-1978). There is a marked decline in the committee's activities during this period.

A new charge in 1978 restored the authority to review, recommend, and approve curriculum. A calendar and scheduling questionnaire sent to all departments provides a detailed survey (faculty, students, budgets, courses, and space) for 1978-1979. Records for 1978 and later may be arranged in subsections for subcommittees, minutes, correspondence, and reports. The records for 1992-1993 include department reviews conducted by the committee. Reports are provided for the Furniture Department (1994-1995), the Masters of Architecture program (1997-1998), and the Interior Architecture Department (1997-1998). Records and minutes do not exist for all years.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

These materials are closed for 72 years due to the inclusion of student academic records. Files may be used 20 years after creation upon request after review by Archives staff.

Series IX. Academic Advisory Council minute books
Minutes, agendas, memoranda, meeting notes, reports, correspondence, and yearly summaries document the work of the Academic Advisory Council and its predecessors, 1981-2006. Monthly meetings are held to discuss academic policy and share information. The Council evolved from the Division Chairmen meetings of the 1970s, as the Deans and Chairmen meetings (1981-1984), the Council of Deans (1984-1986), and the Academic Council, which included the Librarian and Director of Continuing Education (1986-1999). The expansion of the Council in 1986 and later led the Council to restructure the weekly meeting schedule, holding separate meetings for Deans and the full Council beginning in 1991-1992, with records kept separately beginning in 1995. (See Dean's Advisory Council Minute books, 1995-[ongoing])

Records for 1981-1992 include meeting notes taken by Acting VP for Academic Affairs Friedrich St. Florian (1981-1984), VP for Academic Affairs Paul Nash (1984-1985), Dean of Liberal Arts Edward Dwyer (1985-1992), and Associate VP for Academic Affairs Robert Rindler (1986-1987). Recorded minutes begin in 1989. The bulk of the collection, 1985-1992, comes from Dwyer, who brought the records to Academic Affairs when he was appointed Associate Provost in 1995. The Committee files hold records kept by Nash (1983-1987), Rindler (1987-1994), and Provost Hardu Keck (1994-1995), which fill gaps in Minute books for 1988-1989 and 1993-1995.

Topics discussed at meetings include grades, credits, registration procedures, academic advising for students, structure of degree programs, building hours, TU's, appointment and reappointment of faculty, curriculum proposals, budgets, registration statistics, the academic calendar, academic space analysis, and the organization of Academic Affairs. Extensive documentation of subjects exists primarily for 1984-1992. Minutes for President's Staff meetings may be provided.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

These materials are closed for 20 years after creation.

Series X. Deans Advisory Council minute books
Agendas, minutes and summaries, memoranda, budget spreadsheets, correspondence, reports, studies and proposals, surveys, and publications document the activities of the Deans Advisory Council, 1995-2007. The Council (Deans Meetings, 1991-1999) met separately from the Academic Council beginning in 1991-1992, but records were filed with the Academic Council records until 1995. See Academic Council records (Committee files and Academic Advisory Council Minute books) for Deans Meeting records, 1991-1995.

The Council serves as an advisory and informational body, which meets every other week (every week until 1999) to discuss academic initiatives, space, faculty issues, budgets, and other topics that impact upon academic policy. Brief minutes or summaries as part of an agenda begin in 1997. The records for 1996-1997 are missing. The bulk of the records are supporting documents for policy discussions distributed at meetings.

Subjects include capital and non-salary budgets, TU allocations, the academic calendar, faculty contract issues, enrollment statistics, computer use, faculty arbitration decisions, campus master plan, the Ten-Year plan, space allocations, and sexual harassment. Records include the RISD Museum of Art's Expansion Feasibility Study (1999), the Foundation Studies Major Selection survey (2001), and yearly goals for Deans and Academic Affairs. Records may include personal information on individual students.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

These materials are closed for 20 years after creation. Records must be reviewed by Archives staff before use by researcher because of privacy issues.

Series XI. Department Heads minute books
Agendas, minutes and summaries, yearly synopses, and supporting memoranda document the activities of the Department Heads' monthly meetings begun in 1995 by Provost Hardu Keck to bring Deans and Department Heads together to share and discuss current collegiate issues. The Department Heads voted in February 1998 to restrict membership to themselves, a Foundation Studies member, and invited guests. Topics discussed include a Department Heads priorities survey (1997), the creation of the Digital Media Program (1999-2001), the Ten-Year Plan, the formation of the Academic Plan (2000), faculty TU-salary information, and general academic policy.

The materials in this group are arranged chronologically.

These materials are closed for 20 years after creation.