European Honors Program

Following an extensive, year-long Academic Planning and Review (APR) of RISD’s European Honors Program (EHP) and its facilities, which included several site visits, RISD has paused its EHP program. During this time, the RISD EHP Committee, composed of RISD faculty, has been charged with reviewing EHP, in order to best support our current students’ learning needs and ensure they have access to adequate housing.

Below please find the community email from Vice Provost Cavicchi from April 2022, which details the reasons for this pause:

7 April 2022 | Vice Provost Cavicchi to RISD community:

European Honors Program

In Spring 2021, RISD launched its first Academic Planning and Review (APR) for the European Honors Program. The review comprised a self-study, an external panel visit, and a comprehensive strategic planning report, which was submitted to the provost at the end of January 2022. RISD is now engaged in conceptualizing, discussing, and implementing the report’s recommendations.

One long-standing concern has been the student residential quarters in the leased Palazzetto Cenci, which are sub-standard. RISD has engaged in discussions with the owners of the property about needed improvements, including commissioning an architectural study of the space. However, we have been unable to reach an agreement, and we have therefore decided to initiate the process of withdrawing from the lease. We understand that the Cenci is dear to the hearts of many EHP alumni, but our best efforts to engage in a constructive dialogue with the building owners about a future in the Palazzetto were futile.

This action should not in any way be interpreted to signal the end of RISD’s long-standing EHP program. On the contrary, the APR is clear that a serious review of our facilities is part of building a durable and reimagined future EHP, including a new physical footprint in Rome. During this period of review and re-design, the EHP program will remain suspended. However, to continue to provide opportunities for study in Rome while EHP is rebuilt, RISD has established multi-year agreements with peer programs, including John Cabot University. Current RISD students wishing to spend a semester studying art and design in Rome should contact the RISD Global Office or schedule an advising appointment to learn more about how and when to apply.