October 6. 2008
The World at the End of the Day:
Some words for newly elected department reps from a new Provost.
There is a Guatemalan author named Augusto Monterroso who spent his whole life writing one line tales. Imagine that- can you?
The one I remember is:
“Upon waking, the dinosaur was still there.”
At the end of some days I can assure you that the dinosaur WILL still be there. Some days are just like that. I can also assure you that at the end of others you will find something else. Your willingness to take on this leadership role is as big as a dinosaur. It may not be as easy to see as a dinosaur but you will feel it and it will change you. You have flung yourself into the world of relationships where the reality is one of interdependence and where difference and contradictory points of view are the key to leaning about respect, which really is the driver of all things. Here you will sit across the table from one another and come to recognize what it is we share and what it is that really matters and how it is that we can work together to make a difference in how we make the world. . The writer Lyn Hejinian talks about how “The community creates the context in which our work happens by generating ideas that might not come into being otherwise, and in the best sense by challenging everyone involved.” You are world makers. Every person who reaches out beyond themselves to be part of understanding and making community is a world maker. The world needs world makers more than ever now. The world at the end of the day is your world, is our world. As you make it, pay attention to the silent things and the invisible things. Pay attention to everything. Everything you need to know is there.
There will always be dinosaurs.
At the end of each day the world is still there.
What you do makes the world.
Thank you for being a RISD world maker.
Dear Department Representatives and Student Alliance Members,
Congratulations on your appointment/election to Student Alliance at RISD. I am honored to be working with an exciting and engaging group of students and hope to meet each of you during the coming months. The division of student affairs (Office of Residence Life, Student Development, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Health Services, Office of Student Life) is comprised of twenty-three staff members who are here to help ensure that your life outside the classroom is as rich and rewarding as your life inside the studios.
As Student Alliance members, here is who you are to me:
You play a vital role in shaping student life on campus.
You are the people who can dispel rumors and present the real story.
You are the ones who can listen to student concerns, and bring issues forward to be addressed.
You are a link for the administration to share information to your classmates in your programs.
You are the voice of students at RISD.
We are grateful to you and all that you do.
Barbara Fienman
Interim Associate Provost for Student Affairs
College Building 2nd Floor
401-454-660
The following document was submitted to the Board of Trustees, Rhode Island School of Design. The document offers a good summary of important issues SA has been involved with in the past year. Enjoy!
bot-report-fall-20083
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
John F. Kennedy
Dear Members of the Student Alliance,
I’m sorry that I can’t be with you at this evening’s meeting, but I appreciate your allowing me to send you a greeting. Your willingness to participate actively as department representatives to Student Alliance ensures that voices from all constituencies at RISD are heard and empowered. Since we are in an election cycle for our entire country, I think it is important to remember that there will always be divergent views and opinions and groups who will naturally bring ideas from opposite ends of the spectrum. It seems to me that your role in Student Alliance is not so much to espouse a particular viewpoint as it is to help all of your fellow students to reach a set of conclusions, which sometimes will result in a fortuitous consensus.
Keep in mind always that there are those who will be quiet constituents while others will be extremely vocal; make sure that each is given equal weight in your organization’s decisions leading to action. Peter Drucker, regarded by many as the creator of modern management theory, says regarding leadership:
“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I.” And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say “I.” They don’t think “I.” They think “we”; they think “team.” They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit…. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.”
Thank you for caring about your fellow students; because of your example, many will decide to become more active and committed members of this educational community. Thank you for caring about this team we call RISD; your leadership role in Student Alliance may bring about changes that might not otherwise have occurred. And finally, thank you for the way you will challenge and enhance our world with your creativity and dedication to the highest principles of art and design.
Best wishes to each of you for a wonderful and productive year.
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Come to our first meeting of the school year! Tonight, 5pm. Tap room. Dinner provided!
Meeting agenda attached
agenda10-08-08
Please find the list of the 2008-2009 Department Representatives at the URL below:
http://osl.risd.edu/undergrad/?page_id=54
We would like to congratulate our peers who have been elected to represent their departments here at RISD. Over 100 nominations were received, and there was a high voter turn out as well!
We would like to thank all the individuals who ran in the election and hope that those who were not elected will stay actively involved within their department and stay involved with Student Alliance through some of the many opportunities available.
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All representatives and students – please attend out first meeting.
Wednesday 08 October. 5pm
Tap room
Mem Hall penthouse
Dinner provided
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Student Alliance (SA) is currently holding elections for Department Representatives. SA received over 100 nominations spanning every academic department on-campus!
You will receive a department specific ballot via email. Voting only takes a moment. Elections will formally end on Sunday 5 October at midnight. Results will be announced on Monday.
PLEASE attend the first SA meeting of the academic year this Wednesday. OCT 8. 5PM. Tap Room (MEM Hall penthouse). Dinner provided.
Thank you for your time.
Cheers,
SA Executive Committee
Will McLoughlin, President
Charlie Thornton, Vice President
Nate Phipps, Sergeant-At-Arms
Izzi Galindo, Treasurer
Nate Barchus, Assistant to the Treasurer
Liz McCormick, Recording Secretary
Jen Wong, Corresponding Secretary
http://alliance.risd.edu