Missouri State receives INSIGHT into Diversity 2014 HEED Award
Missouri State University was announced as a recipient of the 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
As a recipient of the annual HEED Award, a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, Missouri State will be featured along with 82 other recipients in INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s November 2014 issue.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Missouri State based on its exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and its ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBT community and other diverse groups.
“All faculty, staff and students are to be commended for bringing life to the Missouri State University mission and vision for diversity education and leadership in the state of Missouri and among great universities of all kinds throughout our United States,” Ken Coopwood, vice president for diversity and inclusion at Missouri State University said. “Although we are young in our quest for sustained excellence in diversity underpinnings, the commitment of our leadership has caused great and notable things to happen over a few short years. Congratulations MSU! Welcome to the ranks of our nation’s best for diversity excellence.”
Under Coopwood’ s leadership, initiatives that support and carry out Missouri State’s intent to recruit a diverse student body have grown over the past three years, including initiatives that strengthen the university’s overall accreditation position.
Major initiatives since 2011 include:
- Teacher candidate exchange programs between Harris Stowe University and the Missouri State College of Education.
- Annual visits between MSU senior delegates and community college senior administration in large urban areas to create and ensure course alignment and diverse student visitation.
- Alignment of new student recruitment and transition responsibilities between the office of admissions and the division for diversity and inclusion.
- Creation of four new scholarships for multicultural students.
- Creation of the Multicultural Program Highway, a year-round slate of threaded curricular and co-curricular experiences.
- Creation of the Diverse Perspectives info-letter which provides students an overview of diverse activities throughout campus.
- Establishment of the Good Faith Planner, an annual tool used by academic units to prep for hiring of diverse faculty, which also serves as a resource to recruit diverse students.
- Completion of a diversity marketing survey to establish understanding of diverse students’ perceptions and expectations about MSU.
- Establishment of the Faculty Diversity Composition Initiative, a loan forgiveness/reimbursement program to attract underrepresented students with ambition for collegiate instruction.
- Establishment of the Multicultural Recruitment Team, a student-led welcoming orientation.
“We hope the HEED Award serves as a way to honor those institutions of higher education that recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion as part of their everyday campus culture,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
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About Missouri State UniversityMissouri State University is a public, comprehensive metropolitan system with a statewide mission in public affairs, whose purpose is to develop educated persons. The university’s identity is distinguished by its public affairs mission, which entails a campus-wide commitment to foster expertise and responsibility in ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement. About INSIGHT Into Diversity INSIGHT Into Diversity, celebrating its 40th year in 2014, is the largest and oldest diversity publication in higher education today. Known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, this is the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across campuses. In addition to its online job board, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine presents timely, thought-provoking news and articles on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Feature stories include interviews with innovators and experts, and profiles of best practices and model programs. Readers also find career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses embracing a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available online at www.insightintodiversity.com.
Filed Under: diversity and inclusion
Original link to press release by University Communications.