Roger Williams University Athletics

My approach to athletics is grounded in the philosophy that to strengthen retention and engagement of students in varsity athletics, intramurals, club sports, intramural and wellness programs, all must be a positive, value-added experiences. Students grow through sport and fitness. Athletics, intramurals and recreation can teach students to become reflective, responsible individuals who interact with society in mutually rewarding ways, as stated in the core purpose of RWU.
 
Kiki Jacobs has served as Roger Williams University Director of Athletics, Intramurals, and Recreation since August of 2017.
 
In her first academic year at Roger Williams, Jacobs continued to develop and enhance the renowned athletic and academic reputation that Roger Williams University is known for in New England and across the nation. During the 2017-18 academic year, the RWU Athletic Department had ten individual and team national championship berths, won five Commonwealth Coast Conference Championships and one New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championship, and had a collective winning percentage of .584 among all teams. Individually, the athletic department had 67 All-CCC Team members, seven CCC Players of the Year, two CCC Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year, four CCC Coaches of the Year, 102 CCC All-Academic Team members, 58 All-New England athletes, five Academic All-Americans, and one All-American.
 
Jacobs is also working on new initiatives for Roger Williams Athletics to help improve the experience of the current student-athletes and achieve the long-term goals of the department. She, along with other constituents within the department and the campus community, has begun the process of developing a strategic plan that will set the course for the department over the next several years, beginning with the visual rebrand of Roger Williams Athletic Department back in 2018.
 
"Kiki has worked in great programs and conferences and brings with her a well-deserved national reputation as an accomplished and respected leader in college athletics," RWU Vice President for Student Life John J. King said. "We were especially impressed with her emphasis on team and relationship building and networking; her thoughtful and intentional approach to strategic planning, problem solving and involvement of stakeholders; and the importance she places on the total student-athlete experience."
 
Prior to Roger Williams, Jacobs served as Associate Athletics Director at Springfield College and was also the Associate Athletics Director at Oberlin College from 2006-10. Before her stint at Oberlin, she worked as Aquatics Director and Head Women's Swimming Coach at Washington & Lee University. During her coaching career, Jacobs was an 11-time conference coach of the year, five times in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and six times in the Atlantic States Championships.
 
She received a bachelor's degree from Dickinson College, a master's degree in physical education from Western Illinois University and a master's of business administration from Fitchburg State University. She currently serves as Secretary for the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) as well as Chair of the NCAA Division III Championships Committee.