University is a Third-Time Recipient of HEED Award
09/15/2022
Contacts for media: Emily Gowdey-Backus, Emily_GowdeyBackus@uml.edu, and Nancy Cicco, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
UMass Lowell has been named a recipient of the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity, or HEED, award. It is a national honor given by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion on campus.
This is the third year UMass Lowell has received the award, having also been recognized in 2015 and 2016.
“We are honored by this award,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen. “A commitment to diversity is a commitment to a culture of continuous improvement. UMass Lowell’s students, faculty and staff understand that an inclusive and welcoming campus environment is constructed with countless individual choices we make with respect every day as we encounter new ideas, differences and disagreements. Beyond campus, this university is proud to reflect the diversity of our city and our community.”
Forty-five percent of full-time UMass Lowell students identify as people of color, while more than one in four are the first in their families to pursue a college education. In addition, more than half (53%) of the university’s administrative leadership positions are held by women.
“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 – leadership support for diversity, campus culture and climate, supplier diversity, and many 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 and the full list of 2022 HEED award recipients, visit insightintodiversity.com.
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu