The University of Texas at Dallas received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
As a recipient of the HEED Award — an annual national honor that recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — UT Dallas is featured, along with 108 other recipients, in the November/December 2023 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the first year UT Dallas has been named as a HEED Award recipient.
“The University of Texas at Dallas strives to be an exemplary campus where all members of our community are welcomed, treated fairly, supported and encouraged in their pursuit of excellence,” said Dr. Richard C. Benson, UTD president and the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership. “I am honored to accept this prestigious HEED Award on behalf of our university; however, it does not belong to any one person. Rather, this award belongs to all who live and breathe the Comet mission.”
The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion collaborated with nearly 10 other offices to submit the application for this year’s HEED Award.
“The HEED Award has been a goal since I started at UTD,” said Dr. Yvette E. Pearson, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. “Not for the award itself, but because it demonstrates we are serving our campus community well. I’m thankful for the efforts of our incredible students and for the innovative collaborations among departments throughout our campus that have made all of this possible. We will continue to push for improvement in our outcomes for the entire campus community.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected UT Dallas based on the University’s holistic approach to diversity, equity and inclusion — from recruitment, retention and graduation rates to cross-departmental work with first-generation students to supplier and vendor diversity.
“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, — leadership support for diversity, campus culture and climate, supplier diversity, and many other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, co-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 done every day across their campus.”
UT Dallas is one of six Texas universities to receive the honor.