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.