CDI Resources

SPECTRUM

SPECTRUM Pride Alliance is the LGBTQIA+ organization on Rider's campus. SPECTRUM is a safe space for members of the community. They encourage people, who are not a part of the community, to come to meetings and learn more about different aspects of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In 2017, SPECTRUM Pride Alliance collaborated with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion in commemorating World Aids Day, including a display of the Rider HIV/AIDS Quilt and a candlelight vigil recognizing those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.

Safezone/Rider Allies Program

The Rider Allies Program is a campus-wide voluntary program that creates allies, supports, and resources for the LGBTQIA+ community. It is designed to create a network of allies and visibly identify faculty, staff, and students who support the LGBTQIA+ population and can provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment on campus for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. They can provide support, information, and resources available both locally and nationally.

View more LGBTQIA+ resources on the Rider Allies Safezone webpage.

Pride Month

Pride month is nationally celebrated each year in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan which ignited the gay liberation movement. Major cities across the U.S began to celebrate “Gay Pride Day,” which slowly began to expand over the course of the month. In 1994, education-based organizations came together to designate October as LGBTQIA+ History month, and in 1995 a resolution was passed by the general assembly of the National Education Association to make LGBTQIA+ History month a commemorative month.

Rider University continues this tradition by supporting students in celebrating National Coming Out Day.

Events

LGBTQIA+ Dessert Reception
An annual event during  Welcome Week to provide a safe gathering and networking environment for students who identify as LGBTQIA+ and their allies. Join us to hear from key campus speakers, get to meet new friends, all while enjoying sweet culinary delights!

National Coming Out Day
Rider - University celebrates coming out day on October 11th. In 2017, a group of nearly 50 students and faculty came together for a pride march hosted by SPECTRUM.

Lavender Graduation
Lavender Graduation celebrates Rider’s graduating LGBTQIA+ students on their academic achievements and contributions to the University. The event takes place in April before Graduation.

Preferred/Lived Name

Rider University recognizes that members of the university community may not use the name that they were assigned at birth, as it does not reflect their identity. The university seeks to promote the comfort and safety of students who wish to be identified by a name other than their legal name by displaying a student’s Preferred/Lived name in documents and in university systems where the legal name is not required by law.

To submit a Preferred/Lived name, log into myRider and select the following which appears in the personal information box: 

For a full list of the locations and systems where Preferred/Lived name updates will appear, visit the Registrar’s webpage. Students who would like to connect privately with someone about the lived/preferred name process and other related University resources can contact Christine Mehlhorn, Associate Dean of Students at [email protected], Bart Luedeke Center 110, 609-896-5101.

Gender Inclusive Restrooms at Rider University

In accordance with recommendations made by the LGBTQIA+ Advisory board, Rider University has made an effort to build Gender Inclusive facilities that align with individuals’ gender identity. Rider University recognizes the psychological and physical concerns that are associated with using restrooms that may not align with their gender identity. As such Rider University has included facilities that accommodate to their needs. 

If you find that one of the restrooms on our map/list is labeled incorrectly, please contact the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Campus Map and List View

By Map View

By List - Academic Buildings

By List - Residence Halls

*Gender neutral shower available

Rider University LGBTQIA + Resources and Research

The Rider University Library has a catalog of LGBTQIA + resources and research ranging from books, literary journals and more.

Rider Women United (RWU)

Rider Women United formed with the intentions of educating and involving the rider community in issues dealing with women. The Rider Women United club attempts to heighten awareness of all gender issues to promote change and activism within the Rider community. By doing various activities where students are given opportunities to interact with one another, Rider United Women hopes to show the Rider community that issues concerning women do not exclude men and that both genders are an integral part in making the organization one that educates all.

Women’s History Month

In 1979, Molly Murphy MacGregor inspired women at the Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College to celebrate “National Women’s History Week”. In doing so, she began a nationwide movement to celebrate the achievements and cultural impact of women. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter gave a Presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8th, 1980 as Women’s History Week, and in 1987 Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month. Rider University celebrates Women’s history month as a cultural celebration in March to heighten awareness of the accomplishments and contributions of women to American and global society (http://www.nwhp.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/).

Lactation Room

Rider University is committed to supporting students, staff, and faculty who are nursing.  A private lactation room is available in BLC 208, near One Stop Services.

LASO (Latin American Student Organization)

Created to address/meet the needs of Rider’s Spanish/Latin American students.

Hispanic Heritage Month Events

In 1986 Lyndon Johnson established Hispanic Heritage Week, which was expanded to by Ronald Reagan in 1988. Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized from September 15th to October 15th, by celebrating histories, culture and contributes of American citizens with ancestry from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. September 15th is the starting date because it signifies the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries.

Every year the Center for Diversity and Inclusion works with student orgs to plan events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. These events range from Latin nights to Panels discussing the challenges of being a first-generation Hispanic student on a college campus (https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about.html).

Colorful Connections

Colorful connections is a collaborative event between Residence Life, The Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Transition programs. The event is a social mixer to connect students of color to faculty and staff of color on Rider’s camp.

African American History Month

In 1925 Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), announced the first Negro History Week. The week was celebrated between the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In response to this, Black history clubs began and teachers wanted materials to help educate their students. By 1976, Negro History Week was expanded to a month by President Gerald R. Ford, “...seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.
 
During the month of February, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion supports initiatives to heighten awareness of the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans to the American and global society. 

Gospel Fest

Unite with us for a closing celebration of Black History Month through gospel song, dance and spoken word. Dessert will be served after the show. Enter the BLC Cavalla Room and experience enormous joy and excitement as performers from Rider University and surrounding areas end Black History Month on a high note!

Colorful Connections

Colorful connections is a collaborative event between Residence Life, The Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Transition programs. The event is a social mixer to connect students of color to faculty and staff of color on Rider’s campus.

Student Organizations

Black Men Unified (BMU)
A cohesive group of black males and supporters of different backgrounds on campus who are banded together to create a safer environment where they have the opportunity to express their views and share their stories. There will be a focus on empowerment and its pillars of leadership, social justice, collaboration, and service. Furthermore, this organization will invest in its members through roundtable discussions, workshops, and inclusive events.

Black Students Union (BSU)
The purpose of the Black Student Union is to stimulate the intellectual, political, cultural, and social growth of Rider University students through enriching programs and community service in hopes to educate its members and the Rider community in order to bring awareness, spark action, and ignite change that will benefit the African-American and multicultural student body.

Rider African Students Association (RASA)
The purpose of Rider African Student Association is to expose the Rider University community, products of and or interested in the culture and history of people that make up the African Diaspora and to provide a social outlet for the discussion and enrichment of the African experience. RASA is responsible for sponsoring a yearly event that promotes the growth of the African nation as a whole by providing assistance towards increased vitality to at least one African Country and or region. Anyone who interested in learning about the African culture is welcomed to join RASA. You do not need to be African to learn about the African culture.

ASAR (Asian Students at Rider)

Asian Students at Rider is dedicated to represent, promote, and strengthen the awareness of Asian cultures to the Rider community. As proud individuals, we are committed to promote and educate our peers at this institution. The club is open to all members of Rider University in which all backgrounds and nationalities are welcome.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM)

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) is traditionally celebrated in May. This month celebrates the broad term Asian/Pacific Islander. APAHM originated in 1977 through congress, representative Frank Horton of New York introduced a house bill that stated the first ten days of may as Pacific/Asian American Heritage week. A similar bill was passed in the senate by Senator Daniel Inouye. Although neither of these bills initially passed, in 1978 representative Horton proposed another bill that, “proclaims a week, which is to include the seventh and tenth day of the month, during the first ten days of May in 1979 as ‘Asian/Pacific American Heritage week”. This was signed into office by Jimmy Carter on October 5th, 1978. Later in 1992 Congress passed Public Law 102-450 which annually designates may as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Rider University celebrates APAHM in April, with a variety of different events from book discussions, HOLI and Karaoke nights.

Colorful Connections

Colorful connections is a collaborative event between Residence Life, The Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Transition programs. The event is a social mixer to connect students of color to faculty and staff of color on Rider’s campus.

Rider University respects students of all faith traditions, and supports opportunities for spiritual and faith exploration and commitment. The following specific resources are available presently. If your spiritual needs are not reflected, please contact us so we can connect you with relevant resources.

Affiliate Ministers

Place to pray Gill Chapel

Unitarian Universalist

Christian Churches

Hindu Temples

Islamic Mosques

Jewish Synagogues

Buddhist Temples

Bahai’i

Sikhism

Agnostic/Atheist/Humanist Random Meetups

Learning Resources

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion recognizes the importance of education in the process of building inclusive environments. This resource page is meant to provide resources for those who want to learn more about spirituality and religion.

What is Spirituality/Religion

Spirituality can be considered the inner subjective lives that are shaped by one’s experiences. It takes into account the values and ideals of who people are, and can capture the meaning, purpose and connectedness that exists in the world (Lindolm, 2016). Spiritual beliefs can be captured in a variety of different ways from Shamanism, Atheism, Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. All organized or non-organized religious beliefs can be considered spirituality and/or religion. We hope that during your time at Rider you are able to explore different faith traditions and reflect on your own spirituality.

Learning More about Spirituality/Religion

The best way to learn is to experience and engage in different spiritual and faith traditions. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion has compiled a list of places of worship for different spiritual and faith traditions. During your time at Rider, we hope that you take time to join different student organizations such as Lawrenceville-InterVarsity (LAW-IVCF), Muslim Students Association (MSA), or Hillel, and take time to reflect on your Spiritual/Religious identity.