Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion,  Press Releases

Agnes Scott College Receives INSIGHT Into Diversity 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award

DECATUR, GA — This week, Agnes Scott received the 2021 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 annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — Agnes Scott will be featured, along with 100 other recipients, in the November 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 

“Agnes Scott College is pleased to be recognized for our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for our students, faculty and staff,” said Yves-Rose Porcena, Agnes Scott College’s first vice president for equity and inclusion. “The work we’ve done over the last year builds on the college’s reputation as a community that embraces and values our remarkably diverse student body and cultivates opportunities to engage, communicate and collaborate across differences.” 

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Agnes Scott as an acknowledgment of the strides the college has made in creating an increasingly inclusive community. The college published a bold Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) plan in the summer of 2020, a campus-wide roadmap for realizing the college’s commitment to social justice. The plan elevates Agnes Scott through five core tenets: advancing a culture of anti-racism, inspiring and supporting students, developing and caring for employees, driving excellence through training, education and research, and impacting our local communities. 

Agnes Scott has also been chosen by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) as a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) campus. As a THRT campus, the college partners with local and community groups and the campus community on projects that advance transformational racial change, promote racial healing and erase structural barriers to equity and equal opportunity. 

“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 done every day across their campus.”

For more information about the 2021 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com

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About Agnes Scott College 

Agnes Scott College educates women to think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times. Ranked No. 1 Most Innovative School, No. 1 First-Year Experience and No. 2 Best Undergraduate Teaching by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022 Best Colleges edition, Agnes Scott is a premier institution known for SUMMIT, its signature approach to a liberal arts education focusing on global learning and leadership development, and coeducational graduate and post-baccalaureate programs. Learn more at agnesscott.edu.

About INSIGHT Into Diversity

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine is the oldest and largest diversity publication in higher education today and is well-known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across their campuses. In addition to its online job board, INSIGHT Into Diversity presents timely, thought-provoking news and feature stories on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and beyond. Articles include interviews with innovators and experts, as well as profiles of best practices and exemplary programs. Readers will also discover career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses that embrace a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived, and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available online at insightintodiversity.com.

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