Latest Updates
As we continue to monitor and respond to the challenges of COVID-19, we’re committed to keeping the entire RISD community up to date—students, faculty, staff and our neighbors alike.
Stay informed by reviewing the latest updates to this site.
On-Campus PCR Testing Discontinued after February 15: RISD will discontinue onsite PCR testing for Spring 2023, due to continued and consistent low usage numbers. Students will still be able to request PCR testing via appointments with Health Services.
February 6, 2023
COVID and Flu Vaccination Clinic: RISD is hosting a vaccination clinic next Wednesday, January 25, from 9–5 pm at Thompson House. The clinic is voluntary and open to students, faculty, and staff. It will include the new bivalent COVID-19 booster and the seasonal flu vaccine. Your insurance information will be requested. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required.
January 18, 2023
Updated Wintersession Protocol: Rhode Island’s COVID-19 community transmission status has recently changed to high. As a result, we are adjusting our protocols and prioritizing the health and safety of our community accordingly.
Until further notice, RISD strongly recommends wearing a high-quality, well-fitting mask for all indoor settings and for RISD-sponsored events to help protect against COVID-19. If needed, medical-grade masks are available for free at RISD Public Safety offices at 30 Waterman Street, 15 West and at Thompson House.
Students and faculty are reminded that this recommendation applies to classrooms—including open floor plan studio or home spaces—as well as common spaces in dorms (i.e. in the lounge and in workrooms).
Please also take advantage of free, on-campus PCR testing at Thompson House. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure space is available.
January 4, 2023
Free COVID-19 antigen tests: In anticipation of increased travel and gatherings for the Thanksgiving holiday, two free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests are available for any member of the RISD community. There is no testing requirement; this is an entirely voluntary program.
Tests are available at the RISD Mailroom during normal business hours and at Public Safety 24/7.
November 17, 2022
RISD is hosting a COVID-19 Vaccination clinic next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, October 12, 13, and 14th. The clinic is voluntary and open to students, faculty, and staff. It will include the new bivalent COVID-19 booster. Although insurance information will be requested, there is no cost to anyone who receives the vaccination. Purple Shield Medical will be the health provider for the administration of the vaccine.
To ensure space is available, pre-registration is required.
Wednesday, October 12
12–6 pm
20 Washington Place, Room 102
Register
Thursday, October 13
4–8 pm
20 Washington Place, Room 102
Register
Friday, October 14
9–1 pm
15 Westminster, 1st floor lobby
Register
Please contact Health Services if you have any questions.
OCTOBER 4, 2022
Return to Mask Optional—Mask Friendly:
As of June 21, 2022, indoor and outdoor mask wearing is optional for individuals on campus except at Student Health Services, where masking will continue to be required.
CDC and our health experts strongly encourage individuals who are unvaccinated/unboostered, and or at high risk, to continue to wear masks for their own health protection. Very importantly, we will continue to support masking for any individual based on their own personal situation or comfort level. As a campus we plan to be “mask friendly” to anyone who prefers to continue to wear a mask on campus. We will continue to make masks available during business hours at Public Safety (Waterman and 15 West).
JUNE 21, 2022
Open Testing Discontinued for Summer: Open asymptomatic PCR testing will be discontinued during the summer.
JUNE 14, 2022
Testing Updates: RISD’s Dashboard is now updated weekly with the total number of PRC tests and the total number of positive test results since April 11, 2022 APRIL 18, 2022
Close Contacts and Isolation: Close contacts who are vaccinated, boostered and asymptomatic are NOT required to quarantine/isolate APRIL 18, 2022
Town Hall Recordings: April 12 employee and student Town Hall recordings now available APRIL 18, 2022
FAQ Update: FAQ page updated in response to questions raised at the Town Halls APRIL 18, 2022
Protocol Changes: Starting April 11, RISD will modify masking, testing and travel protocols MARCH 21, 2022
DISCLOSE NOW: RISD is considering rolling back some COVID protocols following spring break—Disclose Now! MARCH 15, 2022
Testing Results: RISD has had a total of 52 positive results out of 3,336 tests since February 17, 2022 MARCH 15, 2022
Booster Numbers: 90.3 percent of the vaccinated RISD community has received a booster shot MARCH 15, 2022
Booster Disclosure: It is not too late for students to upload booster verification and employees to disclose booster status MARCH 1, 2022
New Upload Process: Employees may now upload off-site test results via Workday MARCH 1, 2022
Booster Numbers: Only 61 percent of the vaccinated RISD community has received a booster shot FEBRUARY 15, 2022
Booster Disclosure: Students must upload COVID-19 booster vaccination records and employees must disclose booster dose status by February 16, 2022 FEBRUARY 15, 2022
Spring Arrival Testing: All students, faculty and staff must PCR test upon arrival FEBRUARY 15, 2022
Town Hall Recordings: Recordings now available for Faculty, Staff and Student Spring Town Halls FEBRUARY 15, 2022
Spring Protocol: RISD announces COVID-19 protocols for Spring 2022 including reduced testing protocol, continued mask requirements, reduced travel and event restrictions, and a return to flexible work arrangements FEBRUARY 8, 2022
*Updates listed from newest to oldest
Booster Numbers: Only 34 percent of the vaccinated RISD community has received a booster shot FEBRUARY 8, 2022
Booster Disclosure: Students must upload COVID-19 booster vaccination records and employees must disclose booster dose status by February 16, 2022 FEBRUARY 1, 2022
Spring Arrival Testing: All students, faculty and staff must PCR test upon arrival FEBRUARY 1, 2022
Mask Policy: Starting Monday, January 24, 2022 RISD policy will only accept medical grade face coverings JANUARY 19, 2022
Testing Results: RISD has had a total of 115 positive results out of 1,864 tests since January 1, 2022 JANUARY 11, 2022
Wintersession Arrival Testing: All students, faculty and staff on campus during wintersession must test upon arrival and participate in surveillance testing JANUARY 11, 2022
Tested Positive? Upon verification, RISD will remove individuals from the testing pool for 90 days following positive test results JANUARY 11, 2022
Booster Disclosure: Students must upload COVID-19 booster vaccination records and employees must disclose booster dose status by February 1, 2022 JANUARY 11, 2022
Wintersession Remote Start: RISD will pivot to a remote start of classes from Jan 6–13, with classes resuming in-person on the 14th. JANUARY 4, 2022
Wintersession Protocol Changes: Updates have been made to Wintersession policies and are effective January 1 in light of the surge of cases from the Omicron variant. DECEMBER 23, 2021
*Updates listed from newest to oldest
Wintersession Protocol Changes: Updates have been made to Wintersession policies and are effective January 1 in light of the surge of cases from the Omicron variant.
DECEMBER 23, 2021
New Booster Policy: All students are required to receive a COVID-19 booster and employees are required to disclose booster dose status by February 1, 2022.
DECEMBER 23, 2021
Wintersession Arrival Testing: All students, faculty and staff on campus in January must test within 72 hours of arrival. Sign up available now.
DECEMBER 23, 2021
Vaccination Status: 97% of the RISD community is now fully vaccinated
DECEMBER 7, 2021
End of Semester Testing: RISD provides optional exit testing for students ahead of the winter break
DECEMBER 7, 2021
Town Hall Recordings: Recordings from RISD’s November town hall meetings are now available
DECEMBER 7, 2021
Increased Open Testing: All faculty, staff and students strongly encouraged to test 5–7 days after gathering or traveling
NOVEMBER 18, 2021
Booster Vaccine: All RI residents, education workers and residential students are eligible for the booster vaccine
NOVEMBER 18, 2021
New Protocol for Wintersession and Spring: RISD has announced the revised protocols for Wintersession and Spring 2022
NOVEMBER 15, 2021
Wintersession and Spring protocol: RISD will announce revised protocol for Wintersession and Spring 2022 on November 15
NOVEMBER 9, 2021
Post-Halloween Open Testing: Anyone who attends a gathering over Halloween weekend is encouraged to test the week of November 8
OCTOBER 26, 2021
Wintersession and Spring protocol: RISD will announce revised protocol for Wintersession and Spring 2022 in mid-November
OCTOBER 26, 2021
Open Testing: RISD offers weekly Open Testing appointments. Sign up links are posted on Friday mornings
OCTOBER 12, 2021
Flu Clinic: RISD will offer flu shot clinics for faculty, staff and students on October 13 and November 4
OCTOBER 12, 2021
Brown Fitness Center: Brown Recreation memberships available to RISD faculty, staff and students and their families
OCTOBER 12, 2021
Mask Reminder: Face Coverings are required in all indoor spaces at all times
SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
Isolation Protocol:
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 10 days
- Symptomatic individuals isolate for 10 days from symptom onset.
- Asymptomatic individuals isolate for 10 days from the positive test result.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
Open Testing: RISD offers weekly Open Testing appointments. Sign up links are posted on Friday mornings
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
Campus Access: Individuals must participate in Surveillance Testing when called upon in order to maintain campus access
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
Change in Isolation Protocol: Per a recent RI executive order, anyone who tests positive must quarantine for ten full days, regardless of vaccination status
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
WS Travel Courses Canceled: Due to global conditions—including variable international vaccination rates and shifting travel mandates—RISD has decided to cancel all Wintersession travel courses
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
Vaccine Approval: The FDA announced approval of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine
AUGUST 31, 2021
Building Hours: Campus buildings will be open daily from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM
AUGUST 31, 2021
Fall Reopening: RISD will relax public health protocols and shift to Near Normal protocol on August 16
AUGUST 11, 2021
Students: It’s not too late to upload your required vaccination record!
Employees: Faculty and Staff who have not uploaded the required vaccination status disclosure – Upload Now!
AUGUST 2, 2021
*Updates listed from newest to oldest
Travel update: New RISD-sponsored travel policies for summer and AY21/22
JUNE 29, 2021
Tillinghast access: Tillinghast Farm exterior spaces now accessible to RISD community with active ID
JUNE 29, 2021
Library access: Fleet Library reopens June 28th, by appointments only
JUNE 22, 2021
Museum access: Advance tickets required for access to the RISD Museum
JUNE 22, 2021
Employee job aids: Instructions for uploading employee vaccination status via Workday are available at workday.risd.edu.
JUNE 7, 2021
Mask Update: RISD no longer requires masks OUTDOORS on campus
JUNE 5, 2021
Please get vaxxed!
MAY 25, 2021
RISD Museum re-opening: RISD Museum is opening to the public in June
MAY 25, 2021
Vaccination and testing: Vaccinated individuals must continue to participate in surveillance testing to monitor for breakthrough infection
MAY 18, 2021
Summer planning: RISD anticipates changing to Near Normal protocols on August 16th
MAY 18, 2021
Access to campus:
Faculty and staff campus access will remain unchanged for summer.
Only students with prior approval will be allowed to access RISD’s campus this summer.
MAY 18, 2021
New CDC guidance: RISD will maintain all current mask and social distancing protocol, despite new guidance from the CDC.
MAY 14, 2021
Employee vaccine disclosure: Faculty and staff must disclose vaccination status by August 1st.
MAY 14, 2021
Student vaccination required: Vaccines are mandated for all students and verification must be uploaded by August 1st.
MAY 14, 2021
*Updates listed from newest to oldest
Access to campus: Campus access for the spring semester is contingent upon a variety of arrival requirements.
FEBRUARY 2, 2021
Wintersession has started: The term started January 11 with all online classes
JANUARY 12, 2021
Limited access to campus: Only those with approved access are allowed on campus during Wintersession
JANUARY 12, 2021
*Updates listed from newest to oldest
Governor Raimondo announced new restrictions for Rhode Island colleges and universities and we have confirmed with the Governor’s office what this means for RISD.
- RISD can continue to keep academic shops and studios, and the associated instructional activities, functioning as currently through the end of the fall semester.
- Teaching and learning activities that can be conducted in an online mode without sacrificing the learning outcomes should migrate to online instruction.
- Existing online courses should continue to be conducted online.
- Residence halls will remain open as planned through the end of the fall semester.
DECEMBER 1, 2020
Wintersession campus access: Only specific individuals will be allowed access to campus during Wintersession
DECEMBER 1, 2020
New limit on social gatherings: RI Executive Order limits the size of indoor and outdoor gatherings to 10 people
NOVEMBER 10, 2020
Avoid travel for Thanksgiving: Students will need to quarantine if traveling out of state for Thanksgiving
NOVEMBER 10, 2020
Elections Monitoring Group: This new group has been formed to assess increased risks to public safety due to the election
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
New CDC definition: The CDC has updated their definition of a close contact
OCTOBER 27, 2020
New testing location: Surveillance testing has moved to 224 Benefit Street
OCTOBER 20, 2020
Outdoor classrooms: All tents will be removed November 9
OCTOBER 20, 2020
Positive case FAQ’s: New FAQ’s added about RISD’s response to positive cases
OCTOBER 13, 2020
Thanksgiving Break: Travel is discouraged over the shortened break
OCTOBER 13, 2020
Updated Student Health Services hours: Health Services is offering evening hours and weekend hours
OCTOBER 13, 2020
Positive case protocol: Learn about RISD’s positive case protocol if someone is found positive during surveillance testing
OCTOBER 6, 2020
Wintersession: Start making plans for Wintersession
OCTOBER 6, 2020
Surveillance testing: Approximately 1275 tests will be conducted each week
SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
Monitoring groups: Three new monitoring groups created to support the institution
SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
MyRISD app: New features added to the MyRISD app
SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
Surveillance testing: RISD will now test 50% of the on-campus population each week
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Outdoor eating areas: Various outdoor eating areas have been created on campus
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Testing updates: Baseline arrival testing has revealed three positive cases to date out of 2,689 tests
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
Testing Dashboard: New testing dashboard now available to display daily testing data
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
Student Arrival Quarantine: Quarantine will end for on campus students September 12-16
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
QLess app now live: The QLess app will be used to schedule appointments at key service points
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
Move-in underway: September 2 is the final day of move-in, with optional academic and co-curricular programming beginning September 3
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Testing updates: Baseline arrival testing has revealed zero positive cases to date out of 1,484 tests
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Academic buildings open September 17: Students can begin to access academic buildings on September 17
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Employee recognition: Take a moment to help recognize a colleague who has gone above and beyond during this crisis
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
New Health Services Staff: Several staffing changes have been made to support Health Services during the COVID-19 pandemic
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Move-in weekend: Resident students begin move-in and baseline COVID-19 testing on Saturday, August 29, followed by two-week quarantine
AUGUST 25, 2020
Contingency planning: Response plans are in place in the event of high COVID-19 case counts on campus
AUGUST 25, 2020
Employee testing: Walk-up and drive-in testing now available to all RISD employees at 18 Congdon Street
AUGUST 25, 2020
Staff public health training: All staff must complete online public health training by Saturday, August 29
AUGUST 25, 2020
Academic resources reopening: Fleet Library, RISD Museum, Nature Lab and other spaces will reopen for students, faculty and staff
AUGUST 25, 2020
Arrival testing: Testing in progress through August 28 for on-campus staff, begins August 29 for resident students
AUGUST 18, 2020
Isolation/quarantine housing: The 3rd and 4th floors of 15 West will exclusively house quarantining and isolating students this fall
AUGUST 18, 2020
Self screening: All community members coming on campus must self-screen using the MyRISD assessment and reporting tool
AUGUST 18, 2020
Reduced campus access Several RISD facilities now open only to students, faculty and staff
AUGUST 18, 2020
Air filtration report: External assessment and recommendations for all campus buildings available for view
AUGUST 18, 2020
Facilities updates: Work continues to prepare campus buildings for the fall
AUGUST 18, 2020
Virtual public health training: Mandatory training now accessible for all students, faculty and staff
AUGUST 18, 2020
Arrival testing: Updated schedule for arrival testing for students, faculty and staff
AUGUST 11, 2020
Self screening: The daily self assessment tool is now available on MyRISD
AUGUST 11, 2020
Contact tracing: All RISD community members should participate in contact tracing
AUGUST 11, 2020
Employee support: New employee health coordinator will support employees with COVID-related issues
AUGUST 11, 2020
COVID-19 signage: Installation of signage in progress through mid-August
AUGUST 04, 2020
Virtual public health training: Mandatory training begins mid-August for all students, faculty and staff
AUGUST 04, 2020
New gathering restrictions: The State of Rhode Island has lowered the limit on in-person gatherings to 15 people maximum
AUGUST 04, 2020
Facilities updates: Work underway to prepare campus buildings for the fall
AUGUST 04, 2020
COVID-19 testing: Understand RISD’s testing protocols for all students, faculty and staff on campus this fall.
JULY 28, 2020
Masks: Everyone on campus is required to wear a face covering, which will be provided by RISD upon arrival.
JULY 28, 2020
De-densification: New exterior spaces and updated bathrooms will promote social distancing and bolster safety.
JULY 28, 2020
Quarantine update: RI regulations now require quarantine or proof of negative test for travelers arriving from high-risk areas in US.
JULY 17, 2020
Remote instruction requests: Students who can’t return to campus this fall may submit a formal request for remote instruction.
JULY 17, 2020
Canvas LMS training: Training sessions for faculty will begin this summer.
JULY 17, 2020
New student housing: RISD will offer students housing options at The Edge College Hill this year.
JULY 16, 2020
Course lookup tool: Preview which courses in the Fall will be in-person, online-only or hybrid.
JULY 10, 2020
August 24, 2022
August 23, 2022
*To access, please use your RISD email credentials.
April 12, 2022
April 12, 2022
February 15, 2022
February 10, 2022
Faculty Town Hall*
February 10, 2022
*To access, please use your RISD email credentials.
November 17, 2021
November 17, 2021
November 16, 2021
September 30, 2021
August 19, 2021
August 19, 2021
August 17, 2021
Student Town Hall: AY 21-22: Planning Framework
April 15, 2021
Staff Town Hall: AY 21-22: Planning Framework
April 14, 2021
Faculty Town Hall: AY 21-22: Planning Framework
April 12, 2021
*To access, please use your RISD email credentials.
Staff Town Hall: Spring Semester Preview*
February 4, 2021
Faculty Town Hall: Spring Semester Preview*
February 3, 2021
December 17, 2020
October 21, 2020
September 16, 2020
August 20, 2020
Faculty and Staff Q&A Session*
July 23, 2020
Incoming Undergraduate and Transfer Students
June 20, 2020
Current Undergraduate and Graduate Students
June 18, 2020
Incoming Graduate Student Town Hall
June 18, 2020
June 17, 2020
June 17, 2020
May 6, 2020
April 15, 2020
March 20, 2020
March 4, 2020
March 4, 2020
*To access, please use your RISD email credentials.
