A trailblazer for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), NIU once again has earned national accolades.
The university received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in education. This is NIU’s third consecutive year winning the award—the latest in a string of recognitions for the university’s outstanding commitment to broadening diversity and inclusion.
As a recipient of the award, NIU will be featured, along with 108 other recipients, in the November/December 2023 issue of the magazine.
The recognition reflects NIU’s ongoing efforts to provide access and opportunity to underserved populations and to equip students with the tools and resources they need to thrive and graduate. These efforts involve everyone—from leadership to faculty, staff and students.
“We couldn’t be more proud of this award. The selection process is rigorous and looks for continued progress in areas that include student access and success, faculty and staff hiring, retention and advancement, community partnerships and leadership support for DEIB initiatives,” NIU President Lisa Freeman said.
“This award acknowledges our steadfast commitment to matching talent with opportunity, addressing systemic barriers to success and valuing diversity as a dimension of our excellence.”
The university has made it a priority to remove barriers to a high quality education for students from all walks of life, advance the upward mobility of students, improve retention, close equity gaps in degree attainment and promote timely degree completion.
President Freeman’s passion to sustain a welcoming learning and working environment, as well as NIU’s evolving leadership in using an equity lens to champion the success of all students from all backgrounds, drew Carol A. Sumner, Ed.D., to NIU.
Sumner became NIU’s vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer this past summer. At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at universities throughout the nation are threatened, NIU’s work couldn’t be more valuable, Dr. Sumner said.
“I’m honored to be part of the Huskie family and extremely proud of this recognition for NIU,” Dr. Sumner said. “The university’s achievements would not be possible without growing collaborations and partnerships between those who work in the various offices, departments and centers throughout campus. I’m eager to be a part of a community where, regardless of your station, we will continue to build upon the strong foundation established through the hard work and dedication of the NIU community.”
Open to all colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada, the HEED Award 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 efforts. A full list of the recipients can be found on the INSIGHT Into Diversity website.
“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,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
Equity-minded and inclusive practices are central to the university’s mission, vision and values. They begin before students reach campus with innovative policies, such as test-free admissions and merit scholarships policies, the Rockford Promise Program at NIU, the AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge and a partnership with Hope Chicago.
These efforts are reflected in this year’s strong retention rates and the demographics of incoming students. This year’s freshman class is an economically, socially and racially diverse group of learners, with 57% first-generation college students and 70% students of color.
Latinx students represent 25% of NIU’s full-time equivalent undergraduate population, placing the university on a trajectory to be fully designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
In preparing for the designation, an HSI working group looks to enhance awareness about the designation and support efforts that increase recruitment and retention, resources and support to bolster the institutional culture through an approach known as servingness.
Among numerous other new and ongoing initiatives, NIU’s Faculty Academy on Cultural Competence and Equity(FACCE) offers a series of hands-on and in-person workshops to provide tools and guidance to transform faculty teaching and classrooms by using an equity and inclusion lens.
And NIU will host an inaugural “The Real Talk Conference: Bridging Race, Identity, and Community” on Oct. 27, featuring keynote speakers and interactive sessions led by NIU’s students, faculty and community members.
The 2023 HEED Award represents the latest in several national recognitions:
- NIU was named a College of Distinction for the 2023-2024 academic year, marking its commitment to providing a high-quality undergraduate education that focuses on hands-on learning, strong student-teacher relationships, a vibrant campus life and successful outcomes. As part of the distinction, the university earned additional recognition for Equity & Inclusion.
- Setting the bar for LGBTQ-inclusive polices, programs and practices nationwide, Campus Pride named NIU to its 2023 Best of the Best LGBTQ-friendly Colleges and Universities List.
- The university also was named the most LGBTQ+ friendly college in Illinois in 2022 by Best Colleges and named to Campus Pride’s 2022 Best of the Best Colleges and Universities for LGBTQ+ students
- In 2022, the athletics department received the NCAA/MOAA Diversity and Inclusion Award.
- NIU’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion also has garnered praise from “Great Colleges to Work,”one of the nation’s largest and most respected workplace recognition programs.
