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CORVALLIS, Ore. –Oregon State University has received a national award for the fifth consecutive year that honors college and universities for having a university culture committed to diversity and inclusion.

Oregon State is one of three universities in Oregon and one of 103 honored nationally with the 2022 the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

 “We are honored to be recognized with the 2022 HEED Award,” said Scott Vignos, interim vice president and chief diversity officer. “This award is a reflection of the dedicated work of many colleagues across OSU who strive to continually support minoritized students, staff and faculty, and are determined to build a more equitable and inclusive university community.”

Vignos said many initiatives are underway that advance Oregon State’s inclusive excellence mission, including:

• The Dr. Lawrence Griggs Center for Black and Indigenous Student Support was launched in fall 2021 to support students academically and personally. The center creates pathways for students to connect with university services and programming, including academic support, co-curricular opportunities, career development, recruitment and outreach. The center is an extension of OSU’s student support services work through the Educational Opportunities Program and the Division of Student Affairs.
• A new structure to support employee affinity commissions. The structure guided the development of a new President’s Commission on Indigenous Affairs and will support existing presidential commissions, including the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. In May, the President’s Commission on Black Faculty and Staff Affairs hosted the inaugural OSU State of Black Affairs Summit, which brought together partner institutions and community-based organizations from around the state to discuss critical topics to support the recruitment and retention of Black faculty and staff in Oregon.
• Launching signature programming to enhance leadership efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion across the university. Leading Change for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a unique four-part seminar co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Affairs and the Office of Institutional Diversity, provides skills and tools to academic and administrative leaders to design, implement and sustain initiatives to advance inclusive excellence across the university.
• Action by OSU’s President and Provost’s Leadership Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to engage stakeholders across the institution to develop a comprehensive strategy to support the retention and success of employees of color. The strategy was adopted in June and will be implemented starting this fall.

As a recipient of the HEED Award, Oregon State will be featured, along with other recipients, in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused national publication in higher education.