An article the NY Times published a few weeks ago was brought to my attention today in which it discusses RISD and its current financial woes and other troubles since John Maeda stepped in as president. In the article, it highlights the financial difficulties that the institution is currently facing, the administrative inexperience of John Maeda, and the recent changes to administration, tuition, and the museum’s leadership and support.

While I’m already 2 years graduated and no longer right at the pulsing core of the RISD environment, I do feel that the article is lacking the perspective of recent graduates and students in general, focusing mostly on those connected to the museum and business side of things and who may or may not have much attachment to the actual creative side of the RISD institution.

I would first like to address what the article spends the majority of its time on: The RISD Museum. When I was a student at RISD, the RISD Museum was a location that bore the same name as our school but otherwise had little connection to the student’s education. The local community’s art education and appreciation was fostered through it, but from the student’s perspective, the museum was a resource our teachers had to force us to use. The new public building probably makes the RISD museum feel more “legit” today by giving it more space to showcase its collections and physically integrating it with the rest of RISD better, but to read the museum’s support as a measure for RISD’s financial health seems a bit of an odd pairing since the two cater to two completely different audiences.

As for the tuition hikes and administration shake-ups, what I’m more interested in is what educational institution does not have these same difficulties and events at this or any other given time? As far as I am aware, college tuition has become more and more expensive and less and less affordable through the years–before Maeda, before the economic crisis, before I even went to college. And anytime someone innovative steps in and tries to make a machine run more efficiently, change will happen. Some people move to different departments, some departments are created, some are phased out, some people are let go, some people are hired on. This is an extremely painful process for many of the staff and faculty, and even some of the students, but for results to change, the process must change. Maeda may not have the administrative knowhow, but I think you’d be hardpressed to find a time when any new president is elected and yet everything stays the same. And with today’s economy, I know many colleges and universities have had let-gos, pay-rate freezes, hiring freezes, no overtime, budget cuts, early retirements, and the like. This may or may not be a symptom of Maeda; it could just be a sign of the times.

Now for financial woes, I cannot even begin to claim to know how to solve this universal behemoth. However, here is what I do know: alumni giving back is a major source of income for every college or university, and RISD’s percentage of alumni giving back is shamefully low. Beyond an artist’s desire to say “I am great because of myself and no one else,” there is another reason for the drop in money since 2007 (the year I graduated): when I was a student, everyone I knew felt the squeeze of what seemed like exorbitant required classroom or supply fees on top of already high tuition and room and board, sensing little care for the students (or their parents) by the former president’s administration. As a result, many students declared that since the president was so liberal in taking money before graduation, they wouldn’t give back to RISD after graduation. This resentfulness dissipated into wistful regret when Maeda stepped in, with many of my peers tweeting or updating their facebook status with excitement that someone who cared about the students and understood creativity has finally stepped up, and even wishing they were in school while he was at the helm. So, couple a former president’s work of not fostering school pride, along with a crashing global economy, and I think it makes sense that RISD is having financial issues…along with every other institution in America.

If I had a full-time job now that brought in the dough, would I be giving back to RISD now that Maeda’s president? I most likely would. Do I blame RISD for not enabling me to get a full-time job despite difficult times? Not really. Since Maeda, I have seen more job and freelance postings from more distant cities (away from Providence, RI) on RISD’s Artworks job database than before. Despite the economy. It’s not RISD’s fault that 10% of Americans are unemployed, and it’s not RISD’s fault senior designers and creative directors are competing with small fry like me for entry-level jobs.

It is debatable whether my perspective is valid or my opinion accurate, and only time will tell whether Maeda has too little experience to be a good administrative leader. But for now I say: Maeda’s not necessarily the problem. And he still may be part of the solution.