PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island School of Design confirmed this morning that it is in talks with officials in Charlotte, N.C., to “explore potential opportunities” in that city.
The RISD statement did not detail those opportunities, but the Charlotte Business Journal reported this week that the school is considering opening a campus there.
In an e-mail interview today, RISD spokesperson Jaime Marland told Providence Business News that President Roger Mandle and other school officials have visited Charlotte three times for “preliminary discussions” with Center City Partner of Charlotte, an organization that promotes the city’s central business district.
“The talks are too preliminary to provide any details as to the form a prospective relationship might take, as we’ve made no representation of a program proposal as of yet,” Marland said. “If the ideas move beyond the exploratory phase, we’ll be able to provide more details on any plans.”
An expansion into Charlotte wouldn’t be the first for a Providence-based college. Johnson & Wales University opened a campus in the city in 2004, wooed by municipal officials offering economic incentives. Its Charlotte campus now has an enrollment of about 2,500 students.
But unlike Johnson & Wales – which also has satellite campuses in Denver, Co., and North Miami, Fla. – RISD has never expanded beyond its Providence base.
Rhode Island School of Design is a private arts and design school founded in Providence in 1877. Today, it has a staff of about 750, including 350 faculty and curators, and a student enrollment of about 2,200. To learn more, visit www.risd.edu.
