Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access

Embedded Equity

The Roger Williams University community has committed to diversity, respect for all races, ethnicities, genders, identities and abilities, and access to an affordable education. Our diversity, equity, inclusion, and access efforts are embedded within our Strategic Action Plan and are essential to our institutional direction.

Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access Initiatives include macro initiatives that embed equity into all our university operations, and focused initiatives that support the retention, empowerment and thriving of underrepresented students and employees.

RWU Affirms Our Commitment to Building a Diverse Community

President Ioannis Miaoulis shares a message to the RWU community on the Supreme Court's decision on race-conscious college admissions. 

Racism Stops with Me

“Racism Stops with Me” is a university-wide antiracism campaign to bring forward the full commitment of our senior leadership, our faculty and staff, and our students in learning and engaging in antiracist practices and showing up with their support for our BIPOC community members across our campuses.

Explore The Campaign

Focused Initiatives

DEI In Action

The Intercultural Center

“It’s a really cool place to hang out, and there are so many opportunities to make connections and find resources that are helpful.” -Amanda DaCruz, International Relations Major

Pride Week

“It’s knowing that you share something in common. It’s a comforting feeling that lasts far beyond our pride week.” - Grayson Scanlon, Architecture and Computer Science Major

International Experience

"Something that really helped me was to use all the resources that the school provides.”

Equity Action Plan 2020-2022

Goal: To create the conditions for transformation by focusing on three key areas:

Critical Mass: We must increase demographic representation in the faculty, staff and student body and commit to increasing access in order to reach critical mass.

Capacity Building: To reach and sustain critical mass, all members of our campus community must develop their intercultural fluency through a variety of relevant strategies suited to different stakeholder groups. The plan also focuses on the support, empowerment and advancement of minoritized students and employees.

Culture Change: A focus on communication, leadership practices, talent development, resource allocation, institutional policies and the built environment and accessibility, is designed to drive equity and inclusion at the institutional, and not just the individual, level.

The Equity Action Plan

Student Access, Success and Equity

RWU will be known as a demographically diverse institution that supports access, achieves equitable outcomes along all critical indicators of success and supports the thriving of underserved students.

Intercultural Leadership Ambassador Program

International Ambassadors

Living Learning Communities

Pathway to Purpose

Strive, Overcome, Achieve, Rise Program

Student Accessibility Services

Women's Recognition Ceremony

Employee Access, Success and Equity

Roger Williams University will be an organization known for its success in hiring, developing and advancing members of minoritized groups. In addition, it will be an employer of choice for talented individuals who embrace the institution’s ambitious diversity, equity and inclusion goals and objectives.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Retain-Grow-Advance Leadership Academy

Unconscious Bias Training for Search Process

Students meet ALOK

Campus Climate and Intergroup Relations

Roger Williams will create a campus climate dedicated to inclusion, equity and respect, enabling community members to thrive and experience a genuine sense of belonging.

Alumni of Color Network

Bias Incident Response

Chosen Name Policy

Clubs and Organizations

Diversity at the School of Law

First Generation Day

Racism Stops with Me

Spiritual Life

Education, Scholarship and Service

RWU will be known as an institution that lives up to its educational imperative to interrupt inequity and the injustice that is deeply embedded in histories, legacies and structures of oppression, power, and privilege in higher education through the delivery of programs, courses and pedagogical strategies that foster transformation and effective and positive interactions in a world that is multicultural, global and interdependent.

Black Lives Matter Resources

Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship

Ignite Conference

Orientation DEI Course

School of Law Required Course on Race and the Law

Infrastructure and Leadership

RWU will deepen the university’s advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by implementing changes in its culture, leadership practices, leadership composition and institutional polices and systems.

Diversity Scorecard

Equity Action Plan

Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium

Thriving RWU 2030 Summit

University College

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