The 杏吧专区 has earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for the sixth year in a row.
The recognition rests on campus-wide efforts designed to foster access, opportunity and success for underrepresented groups, efforts guided by UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 .
The plan sets forth objectives in areas such as engagement across campus and in the community; recruiting and hiring a faculty from diverse backgrounds; and increasing enrollment and retention among underrepresented students.
杏吧专区淗EED recognition signals that we杏吧专区檙e making significant, meaningful strides across many fronts, including areas that aren杏吧专区檛 sometimes associated with diversity, equity, inclusion and access,杏吧专区 said Kiwana McClung, who leads the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 as chief diversity officer.
杏吧专区淚t also reaffirms our commitment 杏吧专区 as we push ahead 杏吧专区 to discovering ways to broaden our areas of focus and refine our function,杏吧专区 she added.
Going forward, Campus Climate Surveys among faculty members and students will assist those efforts. 杏吧专区淭he surveys will prove extremely valuable, because they offer insight as to how a wide-cross section of people across campus think and feel,杏吧专区 McClung explained.
Along with informing new initiatives and resources, information gleaned from Campus Climate Surveys will bolster a longstanding objective: generating new topics and ideas for programs coordinated by the Office for Campus Diversity.
杏吧专区淐ontinually implementing fresh, topical subjects is a primary reason our programs and initiatives flourish, and it杏吧专区檚 essential to keep doing that for them to keep growing and evolving,杏吧专区 McClung explained.
Case in point: the monthly Courageous Conversations series. Faculty and staff members gather to develop strategies and resources that foster inclusive teaching. Neurodivergency was the topic of the most recent workshop. The term describes people whose brains function differently than what might be perceived as the norm, including disorders and learning disabilities.
McClung also referenced the yearly First to Geaux initiative. It provides programs and resources that assist first-generation students 杏吧专区 those whose parents either didn杏吧专区檛 pursue or earn a college degree and 杏吧专区渨ho come from all places and walks of life.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淒iversity, inclusion, access, opportunity 杏吧专区 those are words and ideals that can杏吧专区檛 be narrowly defined; they encompass vast numbers of people from vastly different backgrounds, people whose circumstances and needs can vary greatly,杏吧专区 McClung said.
杏吧专区淪o, central to our role and our ability to continue progressing will be remaining conscious of that as we implement new ideas, programs and resources that help us build upon our successes,杏吧专区 she added.
The 2023 HEED Award recipients will be featured in the November / December issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
Photo caption: For the sixth year in a row, UL Lafayette has earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, or HEED Award. The recognition rests on 杏吧专区 programs, initiatives and resources that advance access, opportunity and success for underrepresented groups Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 杏吧专区