Indiana University Graduate School Indianapolis has received the 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity- focused publication in higher education.
As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — IU Graduate School Indianapolis was featured, along with 113 other recipients, in the November/December 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine (p. 89). In fact, the Graduate School was one of only eight graduate/law schools recognized last year, and the only school in Indiana.
“This award means so much to our campus and our graduate school team,” said Janice Blum, dean of the IU Graduate School Indianapolis. “It’s a testament to the efforts across IU Indianapolis to support the graduate and professional student journey. We strive to help students find success at IU through educational and professional experiences leading to employment in Indiana and beyond. The journey of a graduate student is filled with many challenges, and we are grateful to assume a positive role in many lives.”
Insight Into Diversity magazine selected IU Graduate School Indianapolis based upon multiple longstanding programs that demonstrate a continued commitment to supporting underrepresented students. The school conducts a multi-day campus visit program, Getting You into IU Indianapolis, which helps guide students through the graduate admissions process; supports current students in the Underrepresented Professional and Graduate Student Organization; and provides programming for faculty, staff and students through their Graduate Mentoring Center. The school also runs the Grad Parent Network that provides resources to graduate students who are also parents.
Additionally, the IU Graduate School Indianapolis has established important partnerships, including:
- Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) whose Doctoral Scholars Program provides multiple layers of support including, mentoring, career counseling, a scholar’s directory of current scholars and alumni for networking opportunities and recruiting, as well as job postings;
- The National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM); and
- The National Science Foundation Name Exchange.
“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.”
List of recipients of the 2024 HEED Award
More information about the 2024 HEED Award