Selected colleges and universities will be recognized in the November 2015 issue of Insight into Diversity. Insight into Diversity gives the HEED award to colleges and universities that show a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Elizabeth Blevins, assistant vice president for marketing and communications at IU-Bloomington’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, said diversity has many forms.
“Diversity is not just race and ethnicity,” Blevins said. “There are so many types of diversity on campus. The definition is very broad.”
IU-Bloomington applied for and won the award for the first time this year. IU-Bloomington was specifically recognized for many of its programs that work toward diversity and inclusion.
Such programs include the Groups Scholars program, the Hudson and Holland Scholars program, 21st Century Scholars program, and the campus mentoring and tutoring programs.
Martin McCrory, associate vice president for DEMA, said the tutoring programs at IU-Bloomington received copious recognition. DEMA has tutoring programs set up in all cultural centers, academic units and each residential neighborhood.
“We have students who are willing to learn and students and faculty who are willing to help learn, to mentor students, to spend extra time,” McCrory said.
McCrory said another large initiative that impressed Insight into Diversity’s president was DEMA’s overseas programs. These programs give low-income students opportunities to study abroad and see the world.
McCrory said it is important for students to be able to travel abroad.
“Students have to learn about the world,” McCrory said. “It’s not like what we see on TV, not even close. It also makes them more competitive in terms of graduate education and jobs in the job market.”
McCrory said receiving the award means IU-Bloomington is on the right track.
“This means that we have to recognize this award and then do more, at least for me,” McCrory said. “It means that we have a strong foundation, but now we need to build on that foundation.”
James Wimbush, vice president for DEMA, said IU-Bloomington can still improve.
“Receipt of the HEED award is confirmation that our efforts are working thus far,” Wimbush said. “However, we need to continue to improve and evaluate our efforts to ensure that we are making consistent gains and achieving progress for years to come.”
Both McCrory and Wimbush said the University would not have received the award without the help of the administration, faculty and students.
“It was the product of the effort of many people and the culmination of work in diversity being accomplished throughout several units across the campus,” Wimbush said. “We could not have accomplished this without their great work and the support of President McRobbie and Provost Robel.”
McCrory said diversity and inclusion are everyone’s issues and the campus reflects that.
“The campus continues to step up more and more,” McCrory said. “I want IU to become the Midwestern beacon for diversity and inclusion.”
McCrory said students played an important role in winning the award as well, especially in tutoring and mentoring and talking to DEMA about where diversity can improve.
“If the students didn’t want (diversity) to happen, it wouldn’t happen,” McCrory said. “I do want to thank the students for this award. It’s theirs, too.”
