Climate Survey 2022

https://law.rwu.edu/admission/diversity-admissions-process

We use the Law School Admissions Council’s Candidate Referral Service as well as our own application to identify LGBTQ+ applicants. We will often send emails to candidates as well as use the application information to provide useful information. We have a page on our website dedicated to a discussion of the LGBTQ student life as well.

Students are given the option to identify their sexual orientation as lesbian, gay, or bisexual; transgender; or queer. Students can also complete an open ended optional question to fully describe their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

The University and the School of Law have recently incorporated Equity Ambassadors to all job searches beginning in 2020. Equity Ambassadors are employees of the Roger Williams University Community, who are trained to serve as advisors to search committees. Ambassadors are committee participants who have deepened their understanding of the structural and cognitive biases and barriers to inclusive search processes and equitable hiring. These ambassadors ask questions to help committees explore their assumptions and surface biases in the search processes. Equity Ambassadors serve as non-voting members of a search committee. With this new implementation, we will be using our Equity Ambassador program for all future hiring at the law school. To carry out these commitments, the Law School aggressively seeks candidates that will contribute to the diversity of the faculty. Our advertising always includes a statement as follows: “The University seeks candidates who, through their work and life experiences, service to the community, and teaching or research, can contribute to our diversity, inclusivity,
Veterans Enterprise (www.VeteransEnterprise.com)
Women for Hire (http://womenforhire.com/)
JOFDAV – Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans (www.jofdav.com)
Disabled Person (www.disabledperson.com)
The Black Perspective (www.blackperspective.com)
Hispanic Today (www.hispanic-today.com)
Women in Business & Industry (www.wib-i.com)
Hire Our Heroes (www.hireourhires.com)
US Military Pipeline (www.usmilitarypipeline.com)
EmployDIVERSITY (www.employdiversity.com)
Military Vet Jobs (www.militaryvetjobs.com)
Disability Solutions at Work/Ability Beyond (http://abilitybeyond.org/services-for-employers/disability-hiring-inclusion/)
RallyPoint (www.rallypoint.com); EmployRI

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https://www.rwu.edu/sites/default/files/same-sex_spouses__domestic_partners.pdf

RWU School of Law offers 3 different options for health benefit plans all of which include some/complete coverage of hormone therapy, gender counseling, gender-affirming surgeries

As used in this benefit:
Infertility means the condition of an otherwise presumably healthy person who is unable to conceive or sustain a pregnancy during a period of one (1) year.
Standard Fertility Preservation Services means procedures consistent with established medical practices and professional guidelines published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or other reputable professional medical organizations.
Iatrogenic Infertility means an impairment of fertility by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or other medical Treatment affecting reproductive organs and processes.
May directly or indirectly cause means treatment with a likely side effect of infertility as established by the American society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or other reputable professional organizations
The policy also includes the following language:
This plan will not limit gender-specific Preventive Services based on Your gender at birth, Your identity, or according to other records.

The RWU student insurance plan does not provide dependent coverage and benefits are only available to insured students. Wellfleet’s guidelines in regards to any student making the transition:
Wellfleet offers coverage for all medically necessary transition-related healthcare services. We consider requests for these services in the same manner we consider requests for all healthcare services. However, we do understand that there may be confusion when requesting services since the coding for some transition-related healthcare services is the same as the coding for services generally considered to be cosmetic, and therefore not medically necessary, for a cis population.
To alleviate this confusion, and relieve undue worry and burden on transgender members, Wellfleet has categorized transition-related services into five categories.
Category 1: Non-cosmetic outpatient services: no precertification required. This includes medical and behavioral health outpatient office visits and hormonal treatments.
Category 2: Standard transgender surgeries: precertification required. This includes top & bottom surgeries, tracheal shaving and basic facial feminization surgeries (simple forehead reduction, chin modification, lower jaw angle modification). These require 12 months of appropriate social transition prior to surgery and a Behavioral Health professional referral but are generally approved with appropriate paperwork for in-network providers.
Category 3: Complex facial feminization surgeries: precertification required. This includes complex forehead reconstruction, cheek augmentation, complex jaw surgery. These require 12 months of appropriate social transition prior to surgery and a Behavioral Health professional Letter of Medical Necessity with attention to the medical necessity for the complex surgical procedures vs. other simpler surgical options.
Category 4: Generally considered cosmetic but reviewable for transgender members for medical necessity: precertification required. This includes procedures that are generally considered cosmetic under all conditions including hair transplant, wrinkle removal, nose procedures, dermabrasion, chemical peel, brow and eyelid lifts. These require 12 months of appropriate social transition prior to surgery and two Behavioral Health professional Letters of Medical Necessity with attention to the medical necessity for the procedure vs. a similar cis-member request.
Category 5: Generally considered Not Medically Necessary &/or Non-Covered Services: precertification required. This includes procedures with unlisted/unspecified/other codes, custom preparation prostheses, investigational procedures, etc. These require a Letter of medical necessity specific to the requested service explaining why that particular service is medically necessary, utilizing that particular code, as opposed to other available services and/or codes.

The benefit for students seeking infertility services:
Infertility Treatment for Medically Necessary expenses of diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility and for Standard Fertility Preservation Services when a Medically Necessary medical Treatment may directly or indirectly cause Iatrogenic Infertility to an Insured Person. To the extent that We provide reimbursement for a test or procedure used in the diagnosis or Treatment of conditions other than Infertility, those tests and procedures shall be covered when provided attendant to the diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility Assistive Reproductive Technologies such as in vitro fertilization is covered under this benefit.
As used in this benefit:

Infertility means the condition of an otherwise presumably healthy person who is unable to conceive or sustain a pregnancy during a period of one (1) year.
Standard Fertility Preservation Services means procedures consistent with established medical practices and professional guidelines published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or other reputable professional medical organizations.
Iatrogenic Infertility means an impairment of fertility by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or other medical Treatment affecting reproductive organs and processes.
May directly or indirectly cause means treatment with a likely side effect of infertility as established by the American society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, or other reputable professional organizations
The policy also includes the following language:
This plan will not limit gender-specific Preventive Services based on Your gender at birth, Your identity, or according to other records.

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Gender Neutral Bathrooms
Roger Williams University School of Law strives to create and sustain a campus environment that supports and values all members of our community. One aspect of creating a comfortable environment is providing safe, accessible, and convenient restroom facilities. Consequently, the School of Law encourages individuals to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. In addition, the School of Law is committed to maintaining gender neutral bathrooms.

The policy is posted online here:
https://law.rwu.edu/student-experience/diversity-and-outreach/lgbtq-community

In addition to Sexuality and the Law, which focuses primarily on LGBTQ+ issues, the law school offers several courses each year that give significant attention to LGBTQ+ issues. These courses include Family Law, Constitutional Law II, Gender-Based Asylum Claims, Reproductive Rights, and Employment Discrimination.

Our LGBTQ+ Student Alliance receives funding through the Student Bar Association for programs and activities. Additional law school funding has been provided for Alliance leadership to attend the Lavender Law conference and the NY Public Interests Job Fair. The law school also supports summer employment through our public interests stipend program which may include LGBTQ+ advocacy placements.