Led by the provost, Academic Affairs is the center of academic leadership at RISD, overseeing faculty contracts; academic capital and operating budgets; curriculum planning, implementation and assessment; and the evaluation of faculty and students. The staff supports committees, departmental and institutional accreditation and performs budget reporting and analysis. The office provides administration and fiscal management of funded research and partnered projects, along with faculty professional development funding.

Academic Affairs oversees the Fleet Library at RISD, the Center for Arts & Language, Media Resources, Campus Exhibitions, the Nature Lab and Continuing Education.

As RISD’s chief academic officer, Touba Ghadessi sets a vision for student learning, academic affairs and the academic program, championing and advancing the core values of the institution across all efforts. Ghadessi previously served as provost and a professor of the history of art for Wheaton College and, before that, as co-chair of Wheaton’s Art and Art History department and the college’s associate provost for academic administration and faculty affairs.