OSU named diversity champion

OU also honored

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine has recognized Oklahoma State University as one of 11 Diversity Champion colleges in the nation.

The designation is given by the magazine to exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest administrative levels, according to Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of the magazine.

Pearlstein said OSU exceeds everyday expectations, often eclipsing its own goals, and serves as models of excellence for other higher education institutions.

A capital campaign within the Division of Institutional Diversity has raised $3.7 million over the past three years, which includes 25 new endowed, privately funded scholarships and anticipates an additional 10 in the near future, all focused on promoting a culture of inclusion.

OSU and the 10 other colleges and universities selected as diversity champions are the top tier of the magazine’s 80 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipients for 2017, Pearlstein said. This is the sixth consecutive year that OSU has received the HEED Award.

The University of Oklahoma also was among the 2017 HEED Award recipients. It was the second year in a row OU earned the award for its commitment to diversity and inclusion across its campuses. OU’s Norman campus minority enrollment rose again for fall 2017, making this year’s freshman class the most diverse in university history, officials report. All incoming students are required to participate in a five-hour curriculum-based diversity and inclusion training.