WHAT IS RISD’S ADVISING SYSTEM?

First Year
▪ EFS Advisor: Students are assigned an Experimental & Foundation Studies (EFS) Advisor during the entirety of their first year. These advisors are always one of the teachers the student will have during the Fall Semester. (Fall advisee assignments continue in Wintersession and Spring semester, even though the students are mixed into new sections.)
▪ Liberal Arts Advisor: Students are assigned a Liberal Arts Advisor in the Spring semester of their first year.

Sophomore Year
▪ Liberal Arts Advisor: Students have a Liberal Arts Advisor in the Fall and Wintersession semesters of their sophomore year.
▪ Major Advisor: In the beginning of their sophomore year, every student is assigned an academic advisor within their major department.

Junior Year and Beyond
▪ Major Advisor: Students continue to work with their major advisor until degree completion.

During a Student’s Entire Time at RISD
▪ Liberal Arts Senior Academic Specialist: Gail Hughes in the Liberal Arts Division Office will take “walk-in” or virtual advising appointments to help clarify Liberal Arts requirements. Gail also oversees the approval of transfer credits and can help guide students about Liberal Arts courses they wish to take at other institutions.

Optional
▪ Concentration Advisor: Students who elect to declare a concentration are assigned a concentration advisor. If this concentration is one that is housed in and administered by the liberal arts (THAD, LAS, HPSS, or NCSS), the concentration coordinator will replace the Liberal Arts Advisor. If this concentration is Drawing or Computation, Technology, and Culture (CTC), this advisor will be in addition to the Liberal Arts Advisor.

Special Cases
▪ Brown/RISD Dual Degree Program (BRDD) Students: BRDD students are assigned a faculty advisor on each campus. At RISD, this is the EFS Advisor and then the Major Advisor. The program also has staff who are dedicated to assisting students in developing their academic plans and working jointly with both institutions on issues of relevance to students’ academic and residential experiences.
▪ Transfer Students: Starting AY 2025-26, students will receive a Liberal Arts Advisor for their entire sophomore year (first year on the RISD campus), who is specifically dedicated to transfer students. Students are also paired with a Major Advisor.