For the fifth straight year, Case Western Reserve University received a national diversity award that recognizes institutions for their commitment to diversity and inclusion and for implementation of comprehensive diversity initiatives.
Earlier this month, Case Western Reserve received the 2016 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, given annually by the national magazine INSIGHT Into Diversity. The university was one of 83 colleges and universities nationally to receive the award. HEED recipients will be highlighted in the magazine’s November issue.
“Case Western Reserve University is honored to be included among the institutions making progress in their efforts to advance diversity and inclusion,” said Marilyn S. Mobley, vice president for inclusion, diversity and equal opportunity. “We are committed to advancing diversity across the campus and pleased that our efforts have been recognized by INSIGHT into Diversity for the fifth consecutive year.”
Award recipients were chosen based on their “exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives that focus on all aspects of diversity, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community,” according to the publication.
Case Western Reserve has received the national diversity award annually since HEED was established in 2012. The award process is competitive, and receiving the award one year does not guarantee that an institution will receive the honor the following year. Institutions must demonstrate continued progress toward meeting diversity and inclusion goals each year, said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity. “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across the campus.”
To be considered for the national award, institutions were required to complete an extensive application and summarize their diversity and inclusion initiatives that impact students, staff and faculty. In addition, applicants had to outline diversity goals and achievements.
CWRU’s application highlighted several initiatives, including Diversity 360, the campus-wide, comprehensive, diversity education program. Implemented last fall, Diversity 360 provides information about the importance of diversity and inclusion and covers such topics as privilege, implicit bias and microaggression.
Since the program’s implementation last fall, nearly 4,000 faculty, staff, students and university leaders have completed Diversity 360 sessions. The university’s application also highlighted several diversity-related student recruitment and student service initiatives implemented by various CWRU schools and departments.
For a complete list of HEED winners and more information about the award, visit insightintodiversity.com/tag/heed-awards/.