Virginia Tech receives 2013 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award
Virginia Tech was among 56 colleges and university honored with a 2013 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
The award recognizes colleges and universities in the United States that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion
“We are delighted to be among the recipients of this award,” said William T. Lewis, vice president for diversity and inclusion at Virginia Tech. “The announcement of the award coincides with several major initiatives that reinforce the university’s commitment to inclusive excellence, including the roll out of the 2013-18 Diversity Strategic Plan.”
Virginia Tech was selected for the award because of the university’s diversity and inclusion initiatives and ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Among the initiatives cited at the university is the Diversity Development Institute, a professional development program for faculty and staff that has served more than 500 employees, and multicultural programming that includes cultural celebrations and graduation ceremonies such as Donning of the Kente, the Lavender Ceremony, the Hispanic-Latino Achievement Ceremony, and the International Street Fair.
The university also demonstrated institutional commitment through initiatives such as diversity committees across all senior management areas, a vendor diversity policy, and its certification as a Virginia Values Veterans employer.
Virginia Tech will be featured along with 55 other recipients in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
