For the seventh year in a row, The University of Tulsa has received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The HEED Award is an annual honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a recipient, TU will be featured in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity.
“We are humbled to have received the HEED Award for the seventh consecutive year,” said Kelli McLoud-Schingen, TU’s vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion. “It is not lost on us that during this time of political polarity and the assault on DEI in higher education that our work is even more important now. Our office remains steadfast in working to ensure that our underrepresented faculty, staff, and students are supported and reminded that they are important to TU and that they belong.”
TU’s commitment to diversity reaches beyond the classroom and general work environment by fostering conversation through organized educational and social events. Last April, the DEI Office hosted its second annual Diversity Awards Banquet, which recognizes and celebrates students, employees, alumni, and organizations that demonstrate a continued commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion at the university and beyond. The keynote speaker was Tim Reid, a director, actor, producer, and president of Legacy Media Institute, which works to train emerging filmmakers around the world.
In addition to the banquet, the DEI Office also holds an annual DEI Week, featuring a series of events aimed at getting the general campus community involved in DEI conversations and a monthly Cultural Connections meeting, where leaders of diverse/multicultural organizations can gather and seek advice on any problems their group may face. By providing safe spaces for discussions and support groups to uplift and amplify marginalized voices, TU works to improve the student experience, increase student retention, and expand the presence of TU in the Tulsa community.
“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. “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 2023 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.