Crystal Williams

Dear RISD Community,

I write to inform you that vice president of Strategy and Planning Bethany Jankunis is leaving her position at RISD to pursue other opportunities closer to family and loved ones in the New York City metro area. Bethany’s last day will be May 2, 2025. 

Since joining RISD in 2023, Bethany’s core charge has been to advance our strategic priorities, drive new and cross-cutting initiatives, and advance operational effectiveness and efficiency. Her work has been broad ranging and impactful throughout her tenure, including providing leadership for key presidential initiatives in addition to overseeing the Center for Community Partnerships, Continuing Education, and Institutional Research.

The College's strategy and planning efforts seek to foster alignment between RISD and its impact on a changing world and to drive organizational, programmatic and operational transformation across the institution. Bethany provided leadership over two of the institution’s strategic initiatives and was highly involved in a third. In her role as co-chair of the Holistic Student Wellness Committee, Bethany led a school-wide committee, comprised of faculty, staff and students, that examined student wellness at RISD and made recommendations aimed to enhance the wellness environment at RISD. As co-chair of the Financial Optimization Initiative, Bethany and faculty and staff colleagues identified ways RISD can use space more efficiently and in greater alignment with the school’s aspirations. As a member of the Preparedness for Life After RISD working group, Bethany helped reimagine how RISD prepares students for success after graduation. I am grateful to Bethany, the committee co-chairs, and to all who contributed to these initiatives, reports and recommendations. The Cabinet members and I have been reviewing the three strategic initiative reports, and we will soon announce next steps. 

Please join me in thanking Bethany for her leadership and contributions to our community and wishing her the very best in her next endeavors. 

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President 

Dear RISD Community, 

Yesterday, we learned that some members of our international student community are experiencing pressure from their peers to participate in activities that might heighten their vulnerability.

Ours is a dynamic and global community that has consistently asserted the right of individuals to gather and protest peacefully. And we continue to affirm that right. Simultaneously, we also seek to be a community of care.

I call on all of us to respect and honor our differences and be mindful of the potential consequences and very real sensitivities with which each of us lives. Gathering and protesting peacefully is everyone’s right. Pressuring others to do so—in any way—is unacceptable.

I ask us all to respect our differing vulnerabilities and extend grace to each other in ways that align with our collective values.

Thank you.

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President

Dear RISD Community,

Amid the current landscape of rapidly changing immigration policies, RISD’s Office of International Students and Scholar Affairs (ISSA) routinely reviews the internal and government records of our international students. Unfortunately, today we learned of one student whose international status was marked “terminated,” a formal designation that reflects the revocation of a student’s visa status in the U.S.

Earlier today, ISSA wrote to the student directly with an offer to:

• help identify possible legal resources, and
• to the extent possible, support the student throughout this difficult moment.

Further, we have asked the student’s academic department leadership to extend care as they are able; and we have involved the student success office in Student Life.

To protect the student’s privacy, we will not disclose their name. And although we have not been told the reason for the terminated status, we know that other international students and scholars in the United States are experiencing similar changes to their statuses with no clear specific reason(s) given for the terminations. In fact, more than 300 international students nationwide have had their international student statuses revoked in recent days. You can find articles on this nationwide action here and here.

As an educational institution, our goal and mission are to support the success of our students and amplify their dreams and ambitions. Such a revocation of one’s student status is rare, personally and professionally impactful, and especially heartbreaking.

Like so many communities of higher education that are affected by changing guidance and policies, we are deeply concerned by these developments and are closely monitoring the situation. As a global art and design school, our international students are vital to RISD, and we remain committed to preserving our mission and RISD’s dynamic and necessary global community of artists and designers.

International Students and Scholars (those with F-1 and J-1 visas) may contact ISSA for more information and to schedule an appointment by calling 401-277-4957 or emailing ISSA@risd.edu.

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams, she/her 
President