University once at the forefront of reparations and race studies furloughing most staff
Roger Williams University, once hailed for reparations work, now cuts staff pay amid deficit.
Roger Williams University (RWU), known for its high-profile social justice programming, including managing a city reparations initiative and mandating Critical Race Theory coursework, will furlough most employees to offset a $3.5 million budget shortfall.
The Rhode Island university is requiring a one-week unpaid furlough for faculty and staff before June 30, according to a letter from President Ioannis Miaoulis.
The measure is expected to cover “up to half” of the current budget gap.
RWU President Ioannis Miaoulis said in a letter to the university community that the furloughs were part of a strategy of “sharing responsibility fairly” across employee groups.
”Furloughs carry real impacts for individuals and families, and I recognize the hardship that this temporary measure brings,” Miaoulis said in the letter, obtained by WPRI.
”At the same time, it reflects our collective commitment to protect jobs, sustain our ability to realize our mission now and into the future and position RWU for current stability and future growth.”
The university’s decision comes just two years after it was selected to lead Providence’s city-run reparations program. RWU received nearly $100,000 to conduct community outreach and draft a reparations framework.
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That same year, the university’s law school launched a required course on race and the legal system. The course includes modules titled “Historical Origins of White Supremacy” and “Antiracist Lawyering,” and it was later recognized by Bloomberg Law for its innovation in justice education.
Now, however, the university is scaling back internally to preserve operations.
While the university continues to promote race-centered academic programming, its financial situation reflects the growing strain facing institutions across the country. Critics have long questioned whether higher education’s pivot toward ideological programming diverts resources from core academic and financial priorities.
