Ohio University awarded Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for fifth consecutive year

Ohio University has been awarded the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity for the fifth consecutive year.

Presented to U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, the HEED Award recognizes OHIO’s ongoing initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusivity across all campuses. OHIO and 102 other recipients will be featured in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

“It is a great honor for OHIO to have received the HEED Award designation for the fifth year in a row,” said Dr. Salome Nnoromele, interim vice president for Diversity and Inclusion. “Although we still have much work to do to create a more inclusive community, this designation suggests that we are continuing to operationalize our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in ways that are both nationally recognized and promise to move us forward.”

Schools were selected based on the strategic and innovative steps they have taken toward ensuring that diversity and inclusion are a foundational part of their programming and events, training, curricula, hiring practices and more.

“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 their campus.”

Now in its eleventh year, the HEED Award is the only national award honoring U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campuses.

The HEED Award recognizes OHIO for its continued effort to refocus its core strategic priorities to ensure access, inclusion and success. In support of campus-wide inclusive excellence, OHIO continuously implements and deploys multi-faceted strategies related to recruitment, retention, student leadership development, academic success, inclusive pedagogy, diverse faculty mentoring, and proactive campus-wide diversity and inclusion education as part of its Inclusive Excellence Strategic Plan.

Ohio University has taken many steps to enhance diversity and inclusion in recent years, including launching the Make Respect Visible initiative on campus and throughout Athens. The collaborative initiative encourages a culture of respect in the OHIO community, reducing bias through open and respectful dialogue. Make Respect Visible has become a central part of Ohio University’s culture.

There are several different initiatives on campus designed to help students know they have a place of support, and to highlight the voices of people from various backgrounds, including gender, race, LGBTQ+ identity, and religious and spiritual beliefs, along with others. Some programs include the Diversity Opportunity Hire Fund, Diverse Faculty Mentoring Program, ALAANA+ Women's Leadership Cohort, OHIO Men of Excellence Network (O-MEN) and the Diversity Leadership Ambassadors Program. These programs provide spaces for different constituencies, including students, staff and faculty, to feel empowered by personal experiences and professional mentorship opportunities.

To learn more about OHIO’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.