Agnes Scott College Receives Insight Into Academia 2026 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award for the sixth year in a row

DECATUR, GA — Earlier this fall, Agnes Scott College received the 2026 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia magazine, the oldest and largest publication focused on best practices in higher education. The HEED Award is a prestigious honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging, and community-building across all levels of campus life.

Agnes Scott College was featured, along with 60 other recipients, in the October 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine. This is the sixth year Agnes Scott College has been named as a HEED Award recipient.

“This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire community, especially our students, who inspire us every day to create a more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming campus for everyone,” said Yves-Rose Porcena, Vice President of People & Culture at Agnes Scott College. “I am especially proud to receive this honor for the sixth year in a row. It reminds us that when we embrace and empower all voices, we build a future where everyone truly belongs. We remain committed to building bridges through courageous conversations and creating meaningful change in all systems.”

“We use a detailed scoring process as well as a holistic approach to reviewing each application to determine who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,” says Lenore Pearlstein, Co-Publisher of Insight into Academia magazine.

For more information about the 2026 HEED Award, visit insightintoacademia.com.

About Insight Into Academia

Insight Into Academia magazine is the leader in advancing best practices in higher education excellence. Through thought-provoking print and online articles, we share expert advice, valuable resources, in-depth profiles of top programs at colleges and universities, headline news, and much more to help keep our readers informed and empower them to advance initiatives at their institutions. Current, archived, and digital issues of Insight Into Academia magazine are available online at insightintoacademia.com.