FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS — For the third year in a row, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis was selected to receive the 2014 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
As a recipient of this national award that honors U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, IUPUI will be prominently featured in the magazine’s November 2014 issue.
“We are pleased to be recognized for all of the energy that has been built into distinct cultures, which has created and instilled diversity into our institution’s consciousness through practices and programs designed for all members of the IUPUI community,” said Karen Dace, IUPUI’s vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion. “While we know there is still much work still ahead of us, we have opened more doors of opportunity for our students, faculty, staff and community partners.”
Insight Into Diversity also recognized IUPUI for its ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity on campus including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBT community. IUPUI was commended for making strides in the enrollment and graduation of minority students and for putting in place some distinctive diversity initiatives and inclusion programs. Highlights of the recognition include:
Diversity Enrichment and Achievement Program: Assists students of color in pursuing and obtaining their college degrees through an intensive retention program that addresses personal, academic and social experiences that have an impact on student success.
- Office for Veterans and Military Personnel: Provides comprehensive resources to veterans and Veterans Affairs benefit recipients to aid in their overall success as IUPUI students.
- Diversity Plans: Outlines goals for improving the climate for diversity in each school and administrative unit across campus.
- Faculty and Staff Councils: Facilitates interaction, addresses issues and motivates, encourages and promotes the professional development of IUPUI faculty and staff. The Faculty and Staff Councils include Asian American and Pacific Islander; Black; Latino; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender; and Native American.
- Faculty and Staff Diversity Awards: Recognizes faculty and staff who promote a campus climate where diversity is valued, energizes the appreciation of world cultures or champions for social justice.
“We hope the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award serves as a way to honor those institutions of higher education that recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion as part of their everyday campus culture,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of Insight Into Diversity magazine.
Other awards
IUPUI was recently ranked as one of the nation’s top universities, as well as ranked No. 7 “Up and Coming” school and “Best College for Veterans” by U.S. News & World Report in its 2015 edition of Best Colleges. The campus was also recognized for its learning communities and first-year experience for the 13th consecutive year by U.S. News, which highlighted IUPUI for offering programs that help ensure a positive collegiate experience for new freshmen and undergraduates.
For the second year in a row, Minority Access Inc. — a national nonprofit educational organization dedicated to improving diversity in education, employment and research — has recognized IUPUI for its commitment to diversity as a result of the programs and activities it has on campus that both enhance and promote an environment of inclusion.
Additionally, IUPUI was named among the 30 best non-Historically Black Colleges and Universities for minorities in the United States by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, a critical source of news, information and commentary on the full range of issues concerning diversity in American higher education.