UK named 2022 HEED Award recipient, Diversity Champion by INSIGHT Into Diversity
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 22, 2022) — For the sixth consecutive year, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, has recognized the University of Kentucky as a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipient.
The HEED Award recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Open to all colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada, HEED measures an institution’s level of achievement and intensity of commitment in regard to broadening diversity and inclusion on campus through initiatives, programs and outreach; student recruitment, retention and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff.
UK has also received INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine's highest honor — Diversity Champion, and for the first time ever, UK has broken the Top 20. Known for visionary leadership, Diversity Champions are institutions that set the standard for thousands of other campus communities striving for diversity and inclusion.
"Earning the HEED award for the sixth year in a row is a testament to our absolute commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion," said UK Vice President for Institutional Diversity Katrice Albert. "And, for the first time, we are proud to be recognized among the Top 20 of 5,000 submissions. While we have so much progress to make, we are working every day to race toward inclusive excellence. Because we know that everyone having access and opportunities to higher education is wildly possible. Creating inclusive excellence is everybody’s everyday work, and I am grateful to those who have made this possible.”
This recognition is consistent with the university's focus on promoting sustainable transformation around inclusion and diversity. With initiatives in place like the DEI implementation plan, anti-racist trainings led by Candice Hargons, a professor in UK’s College of Education, and the expanded Unconscious Bias Initiative (UBI), a program facilitated through the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Education (IEDE), UK strives to be a place where everyone feels welcome and has the opportunity to succeed.
UK has earned several accolades for diversity and inclusion efforts this year, including a Forbes ranking for Best Employers for Diversity, Best Employers for Women and recognition as a Military Friendly® School by Victory Media.
These recognitions speak volumes to the dedication and hard work of faculty and staff across campus in their efforts to build a culture of inclusive excellence.
For more information about the 2022 HEED Award, visit www.insightintodiversity.com. For more information about UK's diversity efforts, visit https://dei.uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.