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  • Connect, Share Knowledge, and Succeed Within the LGBTQ+ and Ally Legal Community.

    Climate Survey 2020

    Roger Williams University School of Law

    April 27, 2020

    Question 1 provided each school with a field to confirm or update their nondiscrimination statement.
     
    2. Does your law school intentionally seek out LGBTQ+ prospective students?
    Yes
    a. If ‘yes,’ how and where are your efforts directed?

    We use the Law School Admissions Council’s Candidate Referral Service as well 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.

    3. Does your law school's welcome packet for admitted students include mention of identity group support for LGBTQ+ students, as well as for students of color or other minorities?
    No
    4. Does your school offer students the option to self-identify (also known as "Self-ID") as LGBTQ+ in admissions applications or post-enrollment forms?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please describe your student Self-ID process:

    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.

    b. If 'yes,' how many students are currently enrolled at your law school in total?:
    484
    c. If 'yes,' how many self-identified LGBTQ+ students are currently enrolled at your law school, in total?:
    49
    Lesbian
    Answer left blank
    Gay
    Answer left blank
    Bisexual/ pansexual
    Answer left blank
    Transgender / nonbinary
    This number is not available yet. We have added this question to our 2019-2020 admissions application.
    Queer or gender/sexual orientation minority
    Answer left blank
    5. Does your law school offer transgender and nonbinary students who have not legally changed their names the ability to have their name-in-use reflected on their admission applications or post enrollment forms?:
    Yes
    6. Does your law school provide any annual scholarships specifically for LGBTQ+ students?
    No
    7. Does your law school actively seek to employ diverse staff/faculty/administrators, including openly LGBTQ+ individuals?:
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please detail how and where diversity recruitment efforts are directed:

    The law school uses local networks, local affinity bar organizations, and traditional sources for faculty hiring when there are openings. In addition, careful consideration is placed on the language of job postings to ensure we are attracting diverse candidates.

    8. Does your law school conduct a "Self-ID" program which allows staff/faculty/administrators to voluntarily and (if they desire) confidentially identify their gender identity and sexual orientation?:
    Unsure
    a. If you answered 'yes' or 'unsure,' please describe your school's process for collecting this data

    Answer left blank

    9. How many faculty (not staff/administrators) are employed by your law school in total?
    RWU School of Law has 26 full-time faculty members and 63 non-full-time faculty members.
    10. How many self-identified LGBTQ+ faculty are employed by your law school in total?
    2
    Lesbian
    1
    Gay
    1
    Bisexual/Pansexual
    Zero
    Transgender /Nonbinary
    Zero
    Queer or gender/sexual orientation minority
    Zero
    11. How many self-identified LGBTQ+ faculty of color does your law school currently employ in total?
    Zero
    12. How many staff/administrators (not faculty) are employed by your law school?
    48
    13. How many self-identified LGBTQ+ staff/administrators are employed by your law school in total?
    3
    Lesbian
    Zero
    Gay
    3
    Bisexual/Pansexual
    Zero
    Transgender/Nonbinary
    Zero
    Queer or gender / sexual orientation minority
    Zero
    14. How many self-identified LGBTQ+ staff/administrators of color does your law school currently employ in total?
    Zero
    15. Does your law school provide employee benefits such as health insurance, family medical leave, parental leave, and nontraditional family planning like assisted reproduction and/or adoptive benefits?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' are those employee benefits available on equal terms to employees in same-sex marital/domestic partnership relationships as they are to employees in different-sex marital/domestic partnership relationships?
    Yes
    b. If you answered 'yes' to #15, are those employee benefit plans inclusive of the specific needs of LGBTQ+ employees (i.e., are assisted reproductive benefits offered without the need for extended traditional attempts at pregnancy, are care techniques such as mammograms, prostate exams, hysterectomies, etc. available to employees of all genders, are parental leave policies equal for people of all genders, etc.)?
    Yes
    c. If you answered 'yes' to #15a AND/OR if you answered 'yes' or 'unsure' to #15b, please summarize or reproduce your policy here:

    Please find policy link below
    https://www.rwu.edu/sites/default/files/same-sex_spouses__domestic_partners.pdf

    16. Does your law school offer transition-related health benefits including hormone therapy, gender counseling, gender-affirming surgeries, etc. to transgender employees and/or employees who are undergoing gender transition?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes' or ‘unsure,’ please summarize or reproduce your policy here:

    Policy is located here:
    https://www.rwu.edu/site-policies/non-discrimination-policy

    17. Does your law school offer a student benefit plan including health insurance with nontraditional family planning like assisted reproduction and/or adoptive benefits, and/or any additional benefits such as access to campus facilities?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' are those student benefits available on equal terms to students in same-sex marital/domestic partnership relationships as they are to students in different-sex marital/domestic partnership relationships?
    Yes
    b. If you answered 'yes' to #17, are those student benefit plans inclusive of the specific needs of LGBTQ+ students (i.e., are assisted reproductive benefits offered without the need for extended traditional attempts at pregnancy, are care techniques such as mammograms, prostate exams, hysterectomies, etc. available to students of all genders, etc.)?
    Unsure
    c. If you answered 'yes' to #17a AND/OR if you answered 'yes' or 'unsure' to #17b, please summarize or reproduce your policy here

    (question 17b is not clear if the question is specific to non-traditional family planning benefits or all health care services. Policy language is included below.) The benefit for students seeking infertility services is here:

     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. 

    18. Does your school offer the same transition-related healthcare benefits to students and their partners/spouses who are transgender or undergoing gender transition?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please summarize or reproduce your policy here:

    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.

    19. Do all students at your law school have access to on-campus health, counseling and therapy services either through the law school or the larger University?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' are your school's on-campus health care providers trained to ensure they can provide culturally and clinically competent care to LGBTQ+ patients, particularly transgender and non-binary patients?
    Yes
    b. If you answered 'yes' or 'unsure' to #19a, please provide the basis for your answer (i.e., counseling center language, etc.):

    Each of the providers completes Safe Zone training and additional trainings on this topic at different times during the academic year.

    20. Does your law school provide single-stall restrooms available to people of all genders in each law school building?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please describe how the single-stall restroom(s) is/are identified (i.e., what does the signage say, is it identified on building maps and online resources), the number of single-stall restrooms available in each law school building, and whether these are accessible for people with disabilities in each building or floor

    Single-stall restrooms are identified as “All Gender Restrooms.” There are three located in the Law School. The location for the public all-gender restroom is posted online.

    21. Does your law school have a restroom policy applicable to gender-segregated (i.e., "Women's Restroom" and "Men's Restroom") facilities which ensures that transgender students/staff/administrators/faculty have access to facilities that match their gender identity?
    Yes
    a. If "yes," please provide the language of your school's restroom use policy and details on where this policy may be found by the law school community:

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

    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.

    22. Does your law school have one or more annual LGBTQ+ specific course offerings (e.g., LGBTQ+ Law and Policy, Sexual Orientation and the Law, Gender and the Law (focused on trans-inclusive materials), etc.)?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please list course names:

    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.

    23. Does your law school have an active LGBTQ+ law student group that is supported by the administration?
    Yes
    24. Does your law school provide funding, including travel support, for LGBTQ+ students to participate in LGBTQ+-focused learning and/or career services opportunities?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes,' please provide details and examples of when and how those opportunities have been utilized in the past three years:

    Answer left blank

    25. Does your law school have a hate/bias incident policy that faculty, staff/administrators, and students are required to follow?
    Yes
    a. If 'yes' to #25, does that process specifically identify sexual orientation AND/OR gender identity/expression as protected categories?
    Yes, both
    b. If 'yes' to #25, does the policy set out a clear hate bias/incident reporting process for faculty, staff/administrators, and students to utilize if necessary?
    Yes
    26. Does your law school provide mandatory anti-sexual harassment training that explicitly covers same-sex harassment and harassment of transgender/nonbinary people, for all staff/faculty/administrators, at least every three years?
    Yes
    27. Does your law school provide diversity and inclusion training that incorporates robust LGBTQ+ curriculum as well as anti-racism curriculum, at least every three years? NOTE: Please check all that apply.
    Yes, optional for all faculty/staff/administrators
    a. If you selected 'other,' please describe your diversity and inclusion training options:

    Safe Zone
    The Safe Zone program at Roger Williams University is offered by the Intercultural Center and seeks to increase awareness and acceptance of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, queer, transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex students, faculty, and staff. There are three tiers to the Safe Zone program at Roger Williams University. Tier 1 focus on the basic definitions, terms, and concepts related to queer and trans culture. Tier 2 provides in-depth knowledge and awareness of issues faced by the queer and trans communities and focuses on how to become effective advocates. Participants in this tier will also have the opportunity to self-reflect, and critically examine societal issues faced by members of the queer and trans communities. Tier 3 provides education and awareness about issues related to the transgender community, and gives the participants tools on how to serve as allies to the trans community.

    Harassment Prevention and Title IX
    RWU is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free of all forms of discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. To meet compliance expectations, all employees must take the online training course “Harassment Prevention”. Within this extensive training, we cover all of the above-mentioned topics including Title IX protocols for the entire university.

    28. Please describe all additional ways, not identified through your earlier responses, in which your law school works to be safe, inclusive, and welcoming for its LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and administrators:

    Stonewall Lecture Series
    RWU Law’s annual Stonewall Lecture Series honors the numerous individuals who have fought for LGBTQ equality and justice, and the many contributions they have made to advance this modern day civil rights movement.

    Administration Supported Mentor Program
    Members of our administration team serve as mentors to our LGBTQ+ students. Additionally, the Director of Diversity and Outreach serves as an unofficial advisor to all LGBTQ+ students, students of color, and other student populations underrepresented in the field of law.

    Roundtable Discussions
    The Office of Diversity and Outreach hosts a series called Equity Roundtable Discussions. These lunch roundtables provide a terrific opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and administration to discuss topics centered on diversity, equity, access, inclusion, belonging, and social justice with practitioners in the field, researchers, and experts.

    Primary Sidebar

    Survey 2020

    • Union University, Albany Law School
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