Responsible for students' academic records, course registration, catalogues and course announcements, and maintaining degree program requirements, the Office of the Registrar dates to circa 1882. The first Registrars maintained enrollment and academic records and collected tuition payments for all students. Registrar Lena Danforth (1901-1939) served as Secretary of the Faculty beginning 1901 until the creation of the Faculty Council in 1934. The Executive Committee appointed Danforth a member of Faculty in 1923. The Recorder replaced the Registrar in 1939 working in the newly organized Business and Records Office, 1939-1940, and Records and Registration under the supervision of the Dean, 1940-1946. The Recorder served on the Faculty Council, 1942-1946.
RISD combined the positions of Recorder and the Veterans' Supervisor into the Office of the Registrar in 1947 in order to facilitate the management of veterans' enrollment and financial records. The Registrar served as Director of Placement, 1950-1957. The Registrar served under the chief academic officer from 1961 to 2010 when the office moved to the Division of Students and Enrollment. The Registrar reported to the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, 1988-2000, and the Associate Provost for Student Affairs, 2000-2008. Edward Dwyer served as Associate Provost for AA and Dean of Students, 2000-2002, with responsibility for the Registrar's Office. He retained that responsibility when he became AP for Student Affairs in 2002. The Registrar currently reports to the Associate Vice President for Enrollment.
Responsibilities for maintaining academic records for Evening School students ceased in 1977 with the creation of the Office of Continuing Education (9.0), which assumed responsibility the Junior (now Children's) classes in 1981.
Registrars, 1881-present
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Rhode Island School of Design. Office of the Registrar records, Rhode Island School of Design Archives.
The collection contains student enrollment, registration, and course records from the Office of the Registrar, Rhode Island School of Design, 1878-1980s. The bulk of the collection documents day and evening student enrollment, 1878-circa 1950, by Registrar's books and a comprehensive index card file. The collection also includes Junior School Permanent cards, circa 1932-1984, and Evening Extension School transcript cards, circa 1910-1933. The ledgers and index cards may record the student's name, date of birth, address, parent or guardian, years of enrollment, academic department, courses, graduation date, degree or diploma, scholarship, and tuition.
The index card collection is stored in the original metal filing cabinet transferred from the Registrar's Office. The cabinet includes records of former students, RISD graduates, WWI Rehabilitation Students' Registration cards, Academic Department Cards, Summer School, Summer Extension (Day) Course Cards, War Certificates, and Master's students
There is a small collection of Wintersession Records, 1968-1980, documenting policies and procedures, registration, and courses, and an Undergraduate Attrition Statistics and Special Report, 1950-1974.
The collection is arranged in seven series:
Transferred from the Office of the Registrar.
The series is organized into four subseries:
The Registrar's books document student registration, method of payment, course work and grades, and graduation, 1878-1930. The Enrollment and Grade books have been microfilmed.
The Enrollment books record a student's name, registration number, place of residence, and academic department. A student's occupation and tuition paid may be recorded. The records for a spring semester may include an account of the year's enrollment and diplomas awarded. Some books contain loose papers documenting deposit slip information, financial notes, and scholarship applicants.
Chronological. Each semester is arranged by day, evening, and Saturday classes beginning in 1885.
The Grade books record a student's name, course taken, and grade. Some years include exam grades and grade sheets for exams as well as a student's application for renewal and appointment.
Alphabetical within the academic year.
The Payment Record books, 1893-1897 and 1898-1900, record a student’s name, Enrollment book registration number, October date of registration, and type of payment: state or city scholarship or regular payment. The books, in poor condition, correspond to the term of Registrar Grace K. Childs, 1893-1901.
Each book is arranged alphabetically and then by state, city, or regular payment.
The transcript book, 1900-1914, records a student's name, address, date of birth, parent/guardian, department, date entered, and courses taken by term with grade. An individual record may be incomplete. The book also includes a minimal number of loose papers of notes, instructor grade sheets, and one student’s transcript from 1914.
Chronological
Evening Extension School Transcript cards, circa 1910-1933, document a student's name, academic department, address, parent/guardian, date of birth, high school, enrollment date, course, and grades. The collection is incomplete covering Kahn through Poyton. Cards may not record all information and may be printed with the full four-year department curriculum.
The cards are 8.25 in. x 11 in.
Alphabetical
The Junior School Enrollment records, circa 1932-1984, document a student's name, parent/guardian, date of birth, street, city, current school, phone number, courses, and grades. A card may not record all requested information. Box 14 contains cards that have not been interfiled: A-Bres, 1932-1984; B-Z, 1978-1984; and A-Y, 1983-1984.
The cards are 5 in. x 8 in.
Alphabetical
This file cabinet is the Registrar's old cabinet of past students records. These index cards (3x5) are arranged by subject. The cards are mainly typewritten index cards and arranged alphabetically. Cards possess student's personal information, particularly, but not limited to, name, date of birth, address, date of graduation, department, and years at RISD. Personal notes and certificates achieved at school may be on cards. Not all information is filled out on every card.
The cards record the names of students enrolled, 1878-circa 1950. The cards include the student's address, dates of enrollment, department, and day, evening, or Saturday classes. The graduation date is indicated by an asterisk. The cards for students before 1900 may record just the student's name and year of enrollment.
The index cards record the graduate's name, address, year of graduation, degree, and department.
The cards record the name, date, address, occupation, employer, age, and academic subject taken for World War One veterans enrolled in rehabilitation classes. The bulk of the cards are for 1920-1924.
The cards, arranged by department then alphabetically by student, record the student's name, department, and dates of attendance. The card indicates if the student graduated or received grades and hours/credits.
The cards records the student's name, date, course, grade, and schedule.
The cards, organized by adult and junior school, record the student's name, address, age, grade, and subjects. An adult's card may record hours and remarks.
War certificates were awarded 1942 May 20 to students in good standing who had been called to duty in the armed forces. The cards record the student's name, address, department, and enrollment dates.
The index cards record the student's name, year, department, and degree. The cards did not provide a complete listing of all graduate students awarded degrees, 1958-1967.
The records document Wintersession courses, policies, schedules, faculty participation, forms, and student enrollment, 1969-1979, and registration and courses for the 1980 fall semester. Records include class rosters, course announcements and descriptions, enrollment statistics, Wintersession Committee records, policy memos, non-RISD student applications, and survey results for 1970. The records do not document all years. The records for 1970, 1971 and 1973 were maintained in three-ring notebooks by Registrar George Bradley. Student records are closed to researchers.
The records document undergraduate attrition statistics from 1950-1974. Also included are special registrar's reports and student master lists. Records include document attrition yearly. The special registrar's reports includes correspondence with Registrar George Bradley and the Dean, David L. Stout. Reports document the growing numbers within registration. Student records are closed to researchers.
The records document memos, forms, instructions and calendars that were part of the registration process. Some years may have lists of students for each class. The records were maintained in three-ring notebooks by Registrar George Bradley. Student records are closed to researchers.