Clark earns national recognition for diversity and inclusion efforts

Clark University received a 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the only national award that recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts on their campuses.

Given annually, the HEED Award measures an institution’s level of achievement and intensity of commitment in regard to broadening diversity and inclusion on campus through initiatives, programs, and outreach; student recruitment, retention, and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff. Ninety-six campuses from across the U.S. and Canada were selected to receive the award this year.

According to INSIGHT Into Diversity Publisher Lenore Pearlstein, institutions considered for the HEED Award undergo “a comprehensive and rigorous application process” that measures  recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — as well as leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion.

On the process of selecting campuses for HEED Awards, Pearlstein said, “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across their campus.”

Clark’s application listed the numerous programs and initiatives offered through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that have been created to help celebrate the talents, perspectives, and contributions of the diverse students, faculty, and staff on campus. The Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, now in its second year, enables participants to engage in critical dialogue and in-depth examination of diversity, difference, power, and privilege, and the President’s Diversity Advisory Council (PDAC) advises campus leaders and makes recommendations about best practices in creating a diverse and inclusive campus community. Clark’s ODI Co-funding Program helps support activities, events, research, and recruitment efforts, and the newly created D’Army Bailey Diversity Fund helps talented students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to finance their education at Clark. The fund also assists in the recruitment and retention of a more diverse faculty, and provides critical support for faculty to diversify the curriculum, develop academic programming and lectures, and support the work of the Center for Gender, Race, and Area Studies, the unit that serves as the hub for academic endeavors in diversity and inclusion.

“It is an honor to be recognized nationally for the great work we are doing on our campus,” said Sheree M. Marlowe Ohen, chief officer for diversity and inclusion.

The November 2018 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine will include the names of this year’s HEED Award recipients. The campuses also are listed online.

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest publication covering diversity in higher education today. The publication publishes timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond.