Roger Williams School of Law Dean Yelnosky to Step Down After 2019-20 School Year
GoLocalProv News Team
Roger Williams School of Law Dean Yelnosky to Step Down After 2019-20 School Year
Yelnosky’s decision to step down ends his six-year tenure as Dean.
“I am grateful to so many for this opportunity and for supporting and working with me as dean. Whether I was working on new programming, fundraising, diversity and inclusion, board engagement, or attracting and retaining an excellent faculty and staff, I tried to keep the needs of our students and alumni front of mind,” said Yelnosky.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTYelnowsky will return to a full-time teaching position at the School of Law.
“Michael is a respected scholar, beloved teacher, and skilled ambassador to the Rhode Island bar and judiciary, who has strengthened the law school’s reputation and relationships throughout the legal field. His vision in leading the charge to create a more diverse and inclusive institution and to increase experiential learning opportunities, pro bono and public interest law has set us on the course we will follow for decades to come,” said Chief U.S. District Court Judge William Smith, Chair of the law school’s Board of Directors.
According to RWU, the process for selecting a new dean will begin soon with the naming of a search committee and listening sessions.
About Yelnosky
During Yelnosky’s tenure, the School of Law has adapted successfully to the evolving legal marketplace and added academic programming and experiential education opportunities, including the Master of Studies in Law, with specialized areas such as Cybersecurity Law, and the state’s only J.D./M.B.A. program, beginning next year in collaboration with the RWU Gabelli School of Business.
The School of Law also developed a collaborative Veterans Benefits Appeals Field Clinic, as well as the Rhode Island Center for Justice, which provides free civil legal assistance to underrepresented people in the local community.
During his tenure, the overall student diversity has risen to 29 percent, while the percentage of women on the faculty has increased dramatically.
The law school has also adopted its first Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion and established a variety of new diversity and inclusion programs.
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