好色先生 is one of 20 community colleges in the U.S. to receive the 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The award recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The HEED Award selection process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees as well as best practices for both; demographic information of faculty, staff and students; leadership support for diversity, campus culture and climate; supplier diversity; and many other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion.
鈥淲inning the HEED Award for our accomplishments helps build sustainability and resilience for our ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion work,鈥� said Rory Smith, Moraine Valley executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion. 鈥淭he affirmation afforded by receiving this award is transformative in many ways. First and foremost, it is a way of hearing a collective 鈥榯hank you鈥� from our peers, community and society while giving a big 鈥榯hank you鈥� to our faculty, staff and leadership. I believe this will inspire Moraine Valley’s diversity, equity and inclusion allies and advocates throughout our campus to continue their work and inspire others to join this collective effort to make this a better place for our students and a better world for us all.鈥�
Moraine Valley has received several HEED awards throughout the last 14 years and was in the inaugural group to receive the award when it was first presented in 2012. DEI work at the college has been enhanced over the years as evidenced by diversity, equity and inclusion being added to its list of core values, the creation of the Equity Academy and STEM Greer Scholars Program, articulation agreements with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, among other initiatives.
Moraine Valley, along with 113 other recipients that include four-year colleges and universities, will be featured in the November/December 2024 issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
鈥淲e 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,鈥� said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of the magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
