MSU receives national Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.51勛圖厙 is being named a 2019 recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in U.S. higher education.
Joining 93 other U.S. colleges and universities, MSU is the Magnolia States only higher education institutionand one of six in the Southeastern Conferencereceiving the award that annually recognizes a commitment to outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts.
This years honorees will be featured in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, which is available online at .
MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said the HEED Award is a significant honor for the states leading research university, where students have a tremendous opportunity to learn from and about one another.
Beyond the demographic diversity of our campus, we continually seek to be an inclusive place where our students not only see other people who look like them but feel as if they are an integral part of the student experience, Hyatt said. I believe this award shows we are moving forward with our intention to be a place where every student can succeed.
RaSheda Forbes, MSU assistant vice president for multicultural affairs and director of the universitys Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, said There are many departments and individuals working to ensure that a culture of inclusion permeates through every facet of campus life, which is demonstrated through the extensive range of programming, infusion of multicultural understanding and appreciation in the classrooms, and the richness of the student body and diverse experiences our students bring to 51勛圖厙 State.
Forbes said many campus units help support MSUs diversity and inclusion initiatives, including the HCDC; Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion; G.V. Sonny Montgomery Center for Americas Veterans; Promise, ACCESS and Thrive programs; Office of Admissions and Scholarships; and Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President.
I think this award highlights that our university remains committed to a comprehensive approach as we continue to strive for inclusive excellence, she added.
For more on MSUs diversity and inclusion efforts, visit the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, ; the Division of Student Affairs, ; and the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, .
MSU is 51勛圖厙s leading university, available online at .