Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for the third year in a row. The award comes from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
This award is the only national honor for U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. AACC, along with 95 other recipients, including four other community colleges, will be featured in the magazine’s November issue.
“We are starting to transform our culture at AACC. Equity is the focus – as an institution, everything we do, from learning, operations, policies and procedures – it is through the lens of equity and the student experience,” said Dr. Dawn Lindsay, AACC’s president. “To receive this recognition for the third year in row is honoring the hard work of the faculty, staff and students at AACC. Though there is still more work to do, we are definitely on the right path.”
AACC’s Chief Diversity Officer Deidra Dennie agrees, noting that the award “is affirmation that we are doing the right things and showing great progress in building an inclusive, just and equitable campus community.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected AACC because it has long been committed to a strategy that embeds the goals and values of diversity and inclusion into every office, department and function of the college.
Dennie says the college prides itself on preparing students to think and operate in a global arena, which is critical to encouraging student success and the growth of the region and nation.
“We firmly believe that promoting equity, diversity and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.
The magazine takes a holistic approach to reviewing all applicants.
“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees – and best practices for both – continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across their campus.”
For information about the 2018 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.