Alumni and Families Websites Terms of Use

Rhode Island School of Design’s Division of Institutional Advancement (IA) maintains a number of online platforms for RISD alumni, families and other related constituencies. These online platforms include alumni.risd.edu and families.risd.edu, provided by IA to serve as the online communities for RISD alumni and families. They also include the @alumni.risd.edu email forwarding addresses and pages and groups on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WeChat and LinkedIn. These terms of use apply to all such platforms, collectively referred to as "IA online platforms" but they do not apply to the RISD Network platform, which has its own Terms of Use.

All alumni information is strictly reserved for use by individual alumni and IA for personal and institutional-related purposes only.

Certain event programming and functionality of these websites may be restricted to some or all members of the RISD community.

Alumni are defined as follows: RISD Alumni are defined as individuals who have completed two or more semesters or 24 credits at Rhode Island School of Design, including honorary degrees.

RISD families are defined as follows: parents, grandparents, siblings or legal guardians.

Other members of the RISD community, not listed above, include: Faculty, staff, students, donors, RISD Museum members and patrons.

I. Policy and Guidelines for Proper Use

To safeguard the operation of IA online platforms, IA has adopted some basic guidelines and policies to govern proper use and conduct, particularly conduct that occurs in an online environment. Users of all IA online platforms must abide by the following specific Policies and Guidelines:

A. You may download or copy any downloadable materials displayed on our websites for home, noncommercial and personal use only; provided, however, that you maintain all copyright, trademark and other notices contained in such material and you agree to abide by all additional copyright notices or restrictions contained in any material accessed through alumni.risd.edu or families.risd.edu. Unauthorized copying, reproduction, republishing, uploading, downloading, posting, transmitting or duplicating of any of the material is prohibited.

B. Information available through alumni.risd.edu and families.risd.edu may be used for personal and RISD-approved purposes only. Use of information or communications available through alumni.risd.edu for any commercial, public or political purposes is strictly prohibited.

On all IA platforms, prohibited activities include, but are not limited to: (1) activities that are illegal or fraudulent; (2) use that inaccurately implies endorsement, approval, or sponsorship by RISD or IA (or any individual officer of RISD or IA); (3) use that can be confused with official communications of RISD, IA or their officers; (4) use that can be confused with official communications of RISD regional alumni clubs, affinity groups or other authorized alumni leaders; (5) solicitations (print or electronic) for fundraising initiatives that do not directly support RISD, or are not sanctioned by IA; (6) "spamming," which includes print or electronic mass mailings, repetitive or excessive posting, solicitations for commercial services, or cold-calling; (7) use to impersonate another user, RISD alumni, or other person; and (8) activities that violate any additional terms of use governing RISD or the particular platform in use.

Posting of obscene or vulgar materials or use of obscene or vulgar language, or use of abusive, defamatory, profane, or threatening language of any kind, will constitute a violation of these policies governing the use of alumni.risd.edu, families.risd.edu, and other IA online platforms. Determination of whether specific postings violate these policies shall be at the sole discretion of IA and RISD Marketing and Communications. Users shall also not upload, transmit, distribute or otherwise publish any materials containing a virus or any other harmful component.

IA may block, remove or deny further access to these services to those who engage in these or similar practices. IA and RISD Marketing and Communications may also delete or remove posts and messages that it finds to be in violation of this policy. These terms also apply to any message boards and alumni news and events submissions functionality, which are provided by alumni.risd.edu as another means of alumni communication.

C. User accounts may not be shared, transferred, or sold to other parties, nor are they to be used by or made available to any person or entity except the registered alumni user. Additionally, users shall not restrict or inhibit any other user from enjoying any service on alumni.risd.edu.

D. All email forwarding aliases adopted by alumni.risd.edu users are subject to approval by IA. Furthermore, RISD alumni email forwarding addresses should not be used as official business addresses.

E. IA reserves the right to reorganize, edit or not publish any alumni submissions to alumni.risd.edu.

F. Users may report any abuses or misuse of IA online platforms by contacting alumni@risd.edu. If IA determines that a user's participation in any IA online platform creates a risk of liability for IA or RISD, or that the user has violated the policies set forth herein or any applicable laws or regulations, RISD reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to expel a user and deny further access to said online platform (“block”).

G. If you believe that any content posted to alumni.risd.edu, families.risd.edu, or any IA online platform infringes your copyrights, please email alumni@risd.edu.

II. Liability and Indemnity

The reliability of the information available in alumni submissions through alumni.risd.edu is dependent upon the actions of its users. IA can make no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of this information.

IA does not warrant that the alumni.risd.edu or families.risd.edu web sites will operate error-free or that the site and its server are free of computer viruses or other harmful material. To the fullest extent permitted by the law, IA disclaims all warranties, including the warranties of merchantability, non-infringement, and fitness for particular purpose. In no event shall IA or RISD be liable for any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, incidental, consequential or punitive damages, or attorney’s fees resulting from the use of or inability to use information or materials available on alumni.risd.edu or families.risd.edu.

Please note that IA may revise these policies and your continued use of the site constitutes your agreement to comply with such modifications. You should review the policies periodically to ensure that you are familiar with them.

IA expects users to exhibit the same level of respect for others in these forums as in any other IA-related venue or hosted event (such as at alumni club or group events regardless of location, reunion events on campus or on the premises of the RISD Museum).

IA may deny access to IA online platforms to any individual at any time. Participation is a privilege.