桃花直播 receives 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award
Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斕一ㄖ辈 State is again among a select group of universities nationally recognized for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.
A 2021 recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, 桃花直播 State is the only Magnolia State college or university鈥攁nd one of only three in the Southeastern Conference鈥攇arnering the achievement given by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 桃花直播 also received the HEED award in 2019.
Regina Hyatt, 桃花直播 vice president for student affairs, said it鈥檚 an honor being one of only 101 universities across the nation recognized for campus-wide efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
鈥溙一ㄖ辈 State continues to invest in making this a place where all students can succeed and where we have employees who value and embrace the diverse experiences of our students and each other,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hrough our newly formed Division of Access, Diversity and Inclusion, we have significantly grown our human and programmatic resources to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse community and to help build capacity of the university community to ensure a welcoming and supportive environment for us all.鈥
Among the university鈥檚 success stories in diverse programming are the Summer Bridge initiative with a commitment to grow the number of minority graduates from 桃花直播鈥檚 Bagley College of Engineering by increasing enrollment of women and African American students. First-year students are provided on-campus housing, class instructors, peer counselors, meal stipends, textbooks and materials during the five-week summer program at no cost.
Bully鈥檚 Closet and Pantry assists hundreds of 桃花直播 students experiencing food insecurity, a national problem that affects about 30% of college students. Nutritious food, toiletries and other basic necessities are available free of charge. Also, the university hosts an annual International Fiesta, a day of cultural exchange bringing student communities together and fostering ethnical pride through food, music, dance, games and more.
鈥淥ur growing diverse community enhances 桃花直播 State, an environment where students, faculty and staff are creating and nurturing spaces of belonging, developing interdisciplinary opportunities for increasing knowledge, and developing culturally enhanced programming,鈥 said 桃花直播 Vice President for Access, Diversity and Inclusion Ra鈥橲heda Forbes. 鈥淭he HEED award highlights that we鈥檙e committed to inclusive excellence at 桃花直播.鈥
In the fall of 2020, 桃花直播 created a senior-level administrative position to further advance the 143-year-old land grant鈥檚 work of inclusive excellence on campus. Forbes was named the university鈥檚 vice president for access, diversity and inclusion. In this role, she oversees such initiatives as the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center; Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion; TRiO first-generation student program; Promise Program for economically challenged students; and 桃花直播 Thrive for those in the foster care system. This fall, 桃花直播 added another management position, assistant vice president for access, diversity and inclusion to further broaden these and other initiatives.
聽This year鈥檚 HEED honorees will be featured in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, which is available online at insightintodiversity.com.
For more on 桃花直播鈥檚 diversity and inclusion efforts, visit the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, ; the Division of Student Affairs, ; and the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, .
桃花直播 is 桃花直播鈥檚 leading university, available online at .