Campus Life

Texas A&M University Receives National Higher Education Excellence In Diversity (HEED) Award For Fourth Straight Year

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine has recognized Texas A&M for its efforts in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
By Texas A&M University Office for Diversity October 5, 2022

Texas A&M University has been named a recipient of the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The University has garnered this honor for the past four years.

The HEED award is the only national honor recognizing U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. In 2022, 103 institutions received the HEED Award. Texas A&M will be featured in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — leadership support for diversity campus culture and climate, supplier diversity, and many other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across campus.”

Annie McGowan, Texas A&M vice president and associate provost for diversity, said she and her colleagues in the Office for Diversity are delighted to be recognized by the reviewers of Insight into Diversity.

“Applying for the HEED Award requires Texas A&M to critically assess our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, recognize promising, impactful strategies, and determine areas in need of improvement, ” McGowan said.  “This prestigious award validates the commitment and contributions of diversity partners across the Texas A&M campus community to achieving our diversity plan goals. Our recent designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution also serves as an indicator of the progress that we have made in achieving our land grant mission to equitably serve the state of Texas.  We accept it also as a call to action to be more intentional about building our capacity to effectively serve our constituents in a way that addresses their respective needs.

McGowan said both the university and the Office for Diversity are “proud to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the outstanding groups and individuals who work tirelessly to make Texas A&M accessible to all, in particular those who have historically been excluded from and underrepresented in higher education.”

Among the groups and efforts recognized by the HEED Award are: the Diversity Operations Committee (DOC), the Accountability, Equity, and Scholarship (ACES) Faculty Fellows Program; annual Diversity Accountability Reports from the university’s colleges and units, the Office of Sustainability, and more.

“We celebrate those whose efforts are helping to move us in the direction of our public land-grant mission” McGowan said, adding thanks to the university community “for continuing to hold us accountable to our Aggie Core Values and to our shared goals of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

For more information about the 2022 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

About INSIGHT Into Diversity
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity publication in higher education today and is well-known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses. In addition to its online job board, INSIGHT Into Diversity presents timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Articles include interviews with innovators and experts, as well as profiles of best practices and exemplary programs. Readers will also discover career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses that embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived, and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available online at insightintodiversity.com.

 

Media contact: Crystal Carter Spruill, c.carter@tamu.edu

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