Sept. 15, 2025
Dear URI Faculty and Staff,
Consistent with its public land-grant mission, the University of Rhode Island remains committed to increased access, including equal employment opportunity.
URI has historically been subject to both federal and state requirements related to affirmative action.
The Federal Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity, was revoked effective Jan. 22, 2025. This Executive Order, first put in place in 1965, required federal contractors to take affirmative action to ensure equality of employment opportunity without regard to race, religion, sex, and national origin.
URI must also comply with Rhode Island General Laws §§ 28-5-1, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, which currently requires the submission of an annual affirmative action plan. As part of our commitment to promoting civil rights compliance and ensuring equal opportunity for all, the University continues to closely monitor guidance from the Rhode Island Department of Administration Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, which is responsible for enforcing Rhode Island General Laws §§ 28-5-1.
Following the revocation of Executive Order 11246, the University engaged in an extensive review of the affirmative action compliance program, resulting in proposed updates to:
- The policy and training on Employee Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring
- The Civil Rights Compliance Toolkit for Employee Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring
- Various vendor documents related to URI purchasing
- The official University letterhead
- University of Rhode Island job postings for all faculty and staff positions
These proposed changes are consistent with current law, while also enabling us to reaffirm our continued commitment to promoting equal access and opportunity for all and the mitigation of discrimination in all aspects of employment.
Updates and a Call to Action:
The footer on the University’s official letterhead and the job posting language for all faculty and staff positions at URI are being updated following a recommendation from the University’s Leadership Team on Federal Actions and essential stakeholders to read:
Letterhead footer: The University of Rhode Island is an equal opportunity employer committed to community, equity, and diversity.
Job postings: The University of Rhode Island is an equal opportunity employer.
These updates align with federal requirements, including Executive Order 14173.
Please ensure any official letterhead you use reflects this change. Letterhead templates are available through URI Printing Services.
URI is unwavering in its commitment to equal opportunity, community, equity, and diversity. In furtherance of its obligation to serve and support all learners as the state’s public flagship university, URI continues to expand efforts to reach out to, recruit, and retain a broadly representative workforce as well as to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of those efforts. As outlined in the University’s strategic vision:
We respect and appreciate the unique contributions of every member of our community, and we will not tire in our efforts to foster a true sense of belonging by ensuring that the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are imbued in all that we do…so that we may attract and retain the very best students, staff, and faculty.
For additional information regarding affirmative action compliance, visit the Office of Equal Opportunity website. Questions regarding talent acquisition activities should be directed to the Office of Human Resources.
Abby Benson
Vice President for Administration and Finance
Becky Hill
Vice President for Human Resources
Markeisha Miner
Vice President for Community, Equity, and Diversity
Dorca Smalley
Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity