Texas Tech University has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the sixth year in a row. Of the 79 national recipients this year, Texas Tech is one of only 15 that has earned the award every year since its inception in 2012.

“We are constantly striving to be supportive and inclusive of all students, faculty and staff,” said President Lawrence Schovanec. “Receiving this recognition six years in a row is a testament to our efforts to provide an environment where all Red Raiders can learn, grow and be successful.”

INSIGHT Into Diversity is the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. Institutions receiving the HEED award feature innovative and impactful diversity and inclusion programs, initiatives, policies and practices that make a campus a welcoming and diverse place to work, study and thrive for students and employees.

Texas Tech continues to expand services and resources within an ever-broadening definition of diversity on campus, which includes, among other areas of diversity, race and ethnicity, gender, age, veteran status, the LGBTQIA community and people with disabilities. Efforts within Texas Tech’s Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DDEI), formerly the Division of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Community Engagement, are focused on creating an environment of collaborative partnerships in which students, faculty and staff can develop professional skills, individual creativity, personal excellence and social awareness.

“It is an honor for Texas Tech to be recognized for our commitment to diversity,” said Elizabeth Sharp, interim DDEI vice president. “The HEED award both showcases existing efforts and encourages us to intensify our progress.  Building on the momentum of this award, and as Texas Tech meets the criteria to qualify as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, we are working on further integrating diversity within academic programs, increasing our efforts of recruiting and retaining faculty of color, focusing on gender equity and equal access, and expanding our impact within the Lubbock community.”

DDEI includes 13 divisional units:
Cross-Cultural Academic Advancement Center (CCAAC)
Dream Resource Center for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students
First Generation Transition & Mentoring Programs
Institute for the Development and Enrichment of Advanced Learners (IDEAL)
Lauro Cavazos & Ophelia Powell-Malone Mentoring Program (Mentor Tech)
Military & Veterans Programs (MVP)
Office of Academic Enrichment
Office of Community Engagement
Office of LGBTQIA, in partnership with Student Affairs
TRiO – Student Support Services
Texas Tech Chess Program
University Interscholastic League (UIL)
Upward Bound

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award, Texas Tech will be featured with the other recipients in the November 2017 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 – 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 holistic 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 accomplished every day across their campus.”

For more information about the HEED Award, including a full list of recipients, visit the INSIGHT Into Diversity website.

CONTACT:
Amanda Castro-Crist, senior editor, Office of Communications and Marketing, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-2136 or amanda.castro-crist@ttu.edu

(News release from Texas Tech University)