Texas Christian University earned the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“It is an honor for TCU to be recognized for its ongoing commitment to a more inclusive university for future generations for the fifth year in a row,” said Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. “Our faculty, staff and students work hard to develop programs, resources and positions that support inclusion and equity, and I applaud them for their dedication and efforts. TCU is known for its culture of connection and experience – and this award is deeply meaningful to our community.”
As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — TCU will be featured, along with 102 other recipients, in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“TCU has made significant strides in building and cultivating an inclusive and welcoming campus environment, and for the past five years, the prestigious HEED Award has recognized the work of everyone involved,” said Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, senior advisor to the chancellor and chief inclusion officer. “This is cause for celebration, and we will mark the achievement as a community in November.”
The 2022 designation is in recognition of several areas of focus at TCU, including:
- Initiating “Against All Odds: Stories of Grit and Determination,” a new speaker series for Neeley School of Business students hosted by the Office of Inclusive Excellence.
- Supporting practitioner research in existing programs as well as new initiatives, the Inclusive Excellence Research Grant program applies evidence-based research strategies and promotes institutional and community change in Inclusive Excellence led by Academic Affairs.
- Launching the Frogs First Affinity Group Gatherings for first-year students that allow students to meet with others who have shared identities. Affinity groups include students of color, those who identify as LGBTQ+, first-generation students, and transfer and commuter students. The program also introduced campus resources and student organizations that serve students with those identities.
- Establishing the Faculty Hiring Checklist to help efforts by hiring managers and search committees to attract and hire the best, most diverse faculty and leadership consistent with TCU’s high standards of excellence.
- Infusing diversity and inclusion into all aspects of TCU to support the mission and success of the university through Inclusive Excellence in Academic Affairs.
“It’s been wonderful to see a collective effort from the campus community,” said Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, director, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives. “I am truly excited for the future of TCU and its ongoing progress with inclusive excellence.”
“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.”
For more information about the 2022 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.