By Jeremy Craig, Communications Manager, Office of the Provost
Georgia State University has received Insight Into Diversity’s 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Georgia State is one of the most diverse public universities in the United States, with a proven track record of programs and initiatives that prove that students from all backgrounds can succeed.
The university is implementing an ambitious action plan to make even further progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), following recommendations by the university’s Task Force for Racial Equality last summer, and the implementation steering committee of the Next Generation of Faculty initiative.
“Georgia State is known as one of the most innovative universities in the country and seeks to become a national leader in all aspects of university life – including diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Wendy Hensel, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. “While we have more work to do, we are honored to receive national recognition for our efforts and progress especially during the challenges of a pandemic and the national reckoning over racial injustice and inequality.”
A few highlights of accomplishments over the past academic year include:
- The new Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora, center will support research and academic initiatives, artistic efforts and public programming, including exhibits, lectures and conferences, and advance policy proposals that target issues of concern to the African diaspora across the university and the broader community.
- Continued growth of the Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni, an effort to encourage promising undergraduates from underrepresented minority backgrounds to pursue graduate and professional degree programs;
- Expansion of training programs and resources for DEI issues, including a centralized website providing university-wide DEI information;
- Diverse Faculty Alliance (DFA) & faculty inclusion groups, bringing together faculty from similar backgrounds to network, share, and collaborate.
Read additional highlights, access a progress report and learn more about Georgia State’s institutional action plan.
“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 — continued leadership support for diversity, and 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 their campus.”
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.