For the seventh consecutive year, Ball State University has received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity magazine and website in higher education.
The HEED Award recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a recipient, Ball State will be featured in the magazine’s November 2022 issue, alongside 102 other institutions.
“We are grateful to Insight Into Diversity for its continued recognition of Ball State University’s emphasis on celebrating inclusive excellence as part of our community and culture,” said Dr. Charlene Alexander, chief strategy officer at Ball State. “We are fortunate at Ball State to have a committed and enthusiastic group of academic deans, faculty, staff, and students who have integrated diversity, equity, and educational quality efforts into their missions, institutional operations, and programming. I look forward to continuing this hard work into the new academic year and beyond.”
Among its many accolades, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Ball State for its continued learning and development efforts, as well as the campus’ longstanding commitment to accessibility.
“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.”
Inclusiveness is one of Ball State’s enduring values, and Institutional and Inclusive Excellence is among five ambitious goals in the University’s strategic plan, “Destination 2040: Our Flight Path.”
The goals of Ball State’s Office of Inclusive Excellence, meanwhile, are to ensure that diversity is an integral part of the Ball State University identity, to be a recognized training and development resource for the campus community, and to foster an environment where individuals of diverse backgrounds know they are supported through its advocacy efforts.
“We firmly believe that intentional policies, procedures, systems, and infrastructure can break down barriers to equity and inclusion, but it is through individual relationships and understanding that an inclusive community is built,” said Dr. Rashida Willard, Ball State’s associate vice president of Inclusive Excellence.
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