Fond Farewell

I came to RISD in 2018 excited about the future. As I write my last letter as vice president of Institutional Advancement, I am proud and appreciative of the hard work of the faculty and staff and the commitment of alumni and families. Reflecting on the last six years and looking with anticipation toward RISD’s upcoming 150th anniversary, the excitement remains. I know that great things lie ahead.

I have learned that the RISD community is eager for connection and deeply invested in the institution’s continued excellence. Last year saw records in both event attendance and alumni and family volunteerism. Regional clubs have more than doubled and there are more than 20 new affinity groups, demonstrating both the breadth of alumni interests and passions and the global nature of our community. In my time at RISD, we have developed myriad ways to celebrate and inform our community, from this very magazine recognizing the generosity of our donors and volunteers to the newly re-launched RISD Alumni Magazine, digital resources for alumni and families and the podcast series Pulling the Thread

Perhaps one of the most celebratory events in the RISD year is the reimagined Commencement + Reunion Weekend, which brings together graduating students and their families with reunion year alumni. Combining these two landmark events allows the graduating class to be welcomed into the alumni community, with its over 32,000 members. It was a thrill to be part of the inaugural Commencement + Reunion Weekend in 2022 and I am certain that this new tradition will continue to grow.

Equally impressive is the RISD community’s renewed commitment to philanthropy. Since I joined Institutional Advancement in 2018, alumni, family and friends have donated $137 million in support of undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, professorships, internships and museum programming. These are five of the six best fundraising years in RISD’s history.

I am particularly happy to report on the growth of the RISD Fund, which provides approximately 10 percent of the financial aid budget and raised a record $5.05 million in the last fiscal year. Overall, RISD has been able to increase its commitment to financial aid, create the Society of Presidential Fellows, which supports exceptional graduate students, establish 13 named professorships and directorships, and launch the Sustainability Design Lab, the Movement Lab and a range of other new programs for students and faculty.

I’m most proud of how RISD has grown tremendously, with new staff who are dedicated to shining a spotlight on alumni work and creating opportunities for connection, volunteers who give so generously of their time and donors whose gifts are a vote of confidence in the future of the institution. RISD is a global community of kindred spirits and it is my great hope that this community will continue to flourish, showing commitment to each other and continuing to advance the institution and its mission.

O’Neil Outar Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Class Of 2027

Incoming First-Year Students

507 students

34 languages spoken

32% international students

23% from historically underrepresented groups

13% Acceptance rate one of the lowest nationally

7,588 Total applicants

65% increase over last five years OUR INCOMING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS COME FROM:

36 states

TOP 5 California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maryland/Texas

30 countries

TOP 5 China, South Korea, Canada, India, and Taiwan

34% increase over last year

52% Acceptance to enrollment yield

16 Students of color

325 Incoming students were reviewed and admitted as test-optional

3.7 Average high school GPA