The Providence College School of Business Welcomes James Perry
By Cara Daltwas ’25
In August, Providence College School of Business welcomed James Perry Jr. as assistant dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In the short time he has been at the business school, Perry has taken responsibility for diversity, equity, and inclusion matters and has been very busy developing new strategies while implementing the ones that were already in place. Perry’s priorities are recruiting and retaining students of color, not just within the business school but throughout campus. He is also working on establishing a presence in the greater Rhode Island area and has recruitment strategies so high schoolers learn what Providence College has to offer.
“DEI efforts cannot be successfully put forth in isolation. I am eager to continue fostering connections across campus with students, staff, and faculty,” Perry said.
He co-chairs the business school’s DEI committee with Arati Srinivasan, Ph.D., associate professor of management, to ensure that these issues are centered and immersed throughout the program while avoiding a singular approach or lens. Perry also holds weekly office hours in Moore Hall and serves as a member of the Multicultural Student Success Committee.
Perry’s background in DEI has set him up to provide a lot of great new strategies and ways of thinking for the business school. He got a bachelor’s degree in human services from Fisher College, followed by a master’s degree in public policy and education policy from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Perry’s thesis research focused on challenges faced by students of color and those who are economically disadvantaged in K-12 schools and higher education institutions. While at the business school, he is pursuing a doctorate in education at Antioch University, focusing on multicultural & anti-racist education.
After earning his master’s degree, Perry worked as an academic advisor at the University of Rhode Island as well as a program retention counselor at UMass Dartmouth. His most recent position was at Lasell University where he was an associate director for equity and inclusive initiatives then director of retention.
Perry was attracted to the position at the business school because it gave him the opportunity to lead at an institution that had already laid a foundation for DEI work. He is extremely passionate about his position here and said he was very impressed with many of the programs that were already in place for students of color. He is managing the Berkeley Scholars Program with Gabriela Moretti, assistant director of undergraduate advising & DEI. The program offers mentorship, academic enrichment, and a welcoming scholarly community to students from groups underrepresented at the business school.
Outside of the business school, Perry loves Providence College’s DID (Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy) Walls throughout campus because they give students and faculty a place on campus to talk about issues going on in the world and on campus.
Perry’s goal as assistant dean of DEI is two-fold; he wants to increase diversity in the PCSB and all throughout campus. He also wants to be a resource for students on campus who are not of color and provide the majority of students with useful skills to be better allies for students of color. It is important to him to have all students feel like they have a voice. With his past experiences and the current programs in place at not only the business school, but throughout campus, Perry is optimistic that with time and the openness and support of the community on campus that he will accomplish a lot.
