UA Earns HEED Award for Diversity Accomplishments

The University of Alabama earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s work in making UA a more welcoming space for students, faculty and staff.

The HEED Award is given annually by INSIGHT into Diversity magazine, which is the oldest and largest diversity publication in higher education. The award recognizes schools that demonstrate outstanding efforts to promote inclusion on campus.

UA was one of only two schools in Alabama to receive the award among 103 other universities and colleges across the country. The winners will also be recognized in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity.

“My thanks to the outstanding team I have had the opportunity to lead. It is a blessing when passion aligns with professional mission,” said Dr. G. Christine Taylor, vice president and associate provost for DEI. “It is quite an honor to have our institution recognized for the progress we have made over the past five years since the establishment of this division.”

These accomplishments include increased DEI learning opportunities through expanded programs and outreach to campus, particularly through two professionally staffed centers: the Intercultural Diversity Center and the Safe Zone Resource Center, both located in the Student Center.

Working with undergraduate admissions recruiters, DEI also implemented outreach and yield programs for the recruitment of multicultural students, which have assisted with the increase in diverse student enrollment over the past two years.

“Increasing opportunities for collaboration with other departments and organizations has been central to our campus success as the work of DEI is not for a single department or person, but rather an institutional commitment ‘to be the change we want to see,’” said Taylor. “The Path Forward Report, prepared in October 2020, has served as a beacon for the campus next steps.”

The HEED Award is the only national award that recognizes individual schools and colleges for their outstanding work in making diversity, equity and inclusion a priority for their respective campuses. Open to all colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada, the award measures an institution’s level of achievement and commitment to diversity and inclusion on campus through initiatives, programs and outreach; student recruitment, retention and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff.

Learn more about the work of The University of Alabama’s Division of DEI on its website.