Santa Clara University Awarded Third HEED Diversity Award
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 14, 2023—For the third year in a row, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine has awarded Santa Clara University its Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The award recognizes universities that demonstrably champion the creation of diverse and inclusive environments on campus.
The HEED Award, given this year to 109 institutions, is the premier national honor that recognizes inclusion, acceptance, and support for diversity at U.S. colleges and universities.
“This award is an acknowledgement of the ongoing, campus-wide commitment and hard work at Santa Clara University to ensure we are an institution that supports equity, belonging and inclusion for all,” said Shá Duncan Smith, Santa Clara's vice president for inclusive excellence. “We are continuing to make progress in our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) strategic planning implementation process; hiring practices; partnerships with campus and external partners such as the Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone community; and expanding resources for the Multicultural Center, Office of Accessible Education, and Title IX office.”
In its application for the award, Santa Clara cited numerous ongoing programs, campus-wide initiatives, and new initiatives intended to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion across its campus and curriculum. Among the programs undertaken or advanced in 2022-2023 are:
- Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone resources and cultural campout
- College of Arts and Sciences Race, Inequality, and Social Justice Scholars cluster hires, which supports scholars and expands scholarship in race, social justice, and inequality across disciplines.
- Health, College, and Career Summit targeted at lower-resourced high schools
- California Private College is Possible Initiative, an alliance providing resources and support to encourage students to consider attending private universities.
- American Talent Initiative, committed to increasing low-income and underrepresented students in higher education.
- Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Program, offered especially to transfer students from community colleges.
- Genentech Foundation-funded Career Paths in Biotechnology, offered especially to underrepresented STEM students
- Posse Foundation, a paid-tuition and youth leadership development program for 50 students
“The HEED Award selection process is rigorous, assessing the recruitment and retention of students and faculty, pathway programs, community partnerships, leadership support for DEI initiatives, and a comprehensive list of other considerations," said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine. “The winning institutions consistently demonstrate best practices and set the standards for other colleges and universities.”
Santa Clara University will feature as an honoree in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity.
To learn more about the HEED Award, visit the magazine website.
About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information see www.scu.edu.
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121