(GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – Sept. 18, 2019) — Today, Davenport University received the 2019 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. 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 — Davenport University will be featured in the November 2019 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the seventh year Davenport University has been named a HEED Award recipient.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Davenport University for its robust initiatives, services and programs geared toward helping its students, faculty and staff succeed. Over the past seven years, Davenport has developed and implemented a training series on diversity, equity and inclusion for current employees and future hires. The university is also in the process of implementing an evidence-based hiring practice that will help increase the diversity of its faculty and staff.
“Receiving the HEED award for the seventh year verifies that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives remain a top priority at Davenport,” said Davenport University President Dr. Richard Pappas. “As we continue working toward these initiatives at our campuses across Michigan, we embrace a broad definition of diversity that celebrates all members of our community regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, military service, disability or sexual orientation.”
In addition, Davenport’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council created a Global and Intercultural Student Summit to help increase the cultural competencies of students as they enter the workforce. The university also offers several events that celebrate and bring awareness to the diverse populations it serves throughout the year.
“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 — continued leadership support for diversity, and 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.”
Davenport’s extensive efforts toward diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have not only earned recognition through the HEED award but have also placed the university in the Top 10 of the national Employee Resource Group (ERG) and Council Honors Award for three consecutive years. 2019 ERG and Council Honors Award recipients are a diverse group of Fortune 500 companies and organizations representing all industries, geographies and sizes. Davenport is the only university to place in the Top 10 and has been included in the Leader’s Circle for three consecutive years.
For more information about the 2019 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.
For more information about Davenport University, visit davenport.edu.
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