Augusta University receives prestigious diversity award

For the third time, Augusta University has received a prestigious national award recognizing its commitment to diversity and inclusion from the oldest higher education, diversity-focused publication.

Augusta University, one of five Georgia institutions to be recognized this year, received the 2016 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine because of its ongoing initiatives that celebrate diversity on campus.

“Our university works hard to create a healthy environment for all people, and this recognition is a wonderful affirmation of our strategic commitment to demonstrating respect and including multiple perspectives in our educational environments as well as in our decision-making,” said Dr. Quincy Byrdsong, Augusta Unversity’s Vice President for Academic Planning and Strategic Initiatives and Chief Diversity Officer.

According to Byrdsong, the magazine recognized the university’s efforts in offering ongoing cultural competency education opportunities as well as creating practices that enhance inclusiveness and civility, promote community and international cultural activities, and improve efforts to reduce population-based disparities.

As a recipient of the annual HEED Award, Augusta University will be featured along with 83 other recipients in the magazine’s November 2016 issue.

“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. “While we look at numbers and expect continued improvement for those schools that receive the HEED Award year after year, we also use a holistic approach in reviewing each application. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across their

Learn more about diversity and inclusion at August University.