PROVIDENCE – John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design, set the world of Twitter astir on Monday afternoon after posting a comment that some could interpret as a signal that he was leaving, only to issue a clarification a few hours later.
“When you know your standing and know your stand, it’s time to walk,” posted Maeda at around 1 p.m., catching the attention of those who have followed recent RISD events which included an overwhelming “no confidence” vote by the faculty on March 2.
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Maeda, who has been seen as “pot-stirrer” at RISD, posted a “clarification” a few hours later.
“Clarification: When you know your standing and know where you want to stand, it’s time to walk there together.”
“It was a remark on his eagerness to move forward as a community,” explained Jaime Marland, director of media relations, responding to a call from Providence Business News.
Following the no confidence faculty vote, Merrill Sherman, chair of the RISD Board of Trustees and CEO of Bank Rhode Island, said that Maeda and his administration continued to have “the full support” of the board.
“President [John] Maeda and Provost [Jessie] Shefrin have heard the point of view of the faculty and take it very seriously. In academic communities, the exchange of thoughts and ideas is the key to progress. They will continue a constructive, ongoing dialogue with every key constituency in the RISD community,” Marland also said after the faculty vote.
