Whitworth Named Top University for Commitment to Diversity
September 14, 2018
Whitworth University is pleased to announce it is a recipient of the 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.
This national honor recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Whitworth will be featured in the November 2018 issue of the magazine.
“We are honored to receive this recognition, and I thank and applaud the successful collective efforts of faculty, staff, students and senior leadership,” says Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, chief diversity officer and associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. “The university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is so strong because it is anchored on our Christ-centered rationale to seek reconciliation, peace, justice and inclusion.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Whitworth based on its many efforts in the recruitment and retention of a diversified population. One example is the Intergroup Dialogue and Diversity Education program. Through this annual program, 24 faculty and staff members participate in a three-day summer workshop on intergroup dialogue and diversity education, followed by monthly meetings through the academic year. Participants develop intergroup dialogue and facilitation skills, learning how to engage in difficult conversations with all members of the community.
The award also recognizes the value of several of Whitworth’s student-focused diversity and inclusion programs. These include cultural-diversity advocates in every resident hall, peer mentoring programs for first-generation and underrepresented students, and the annual Diversity Monologues program.
Other recipients of the HEED award include Oregon State University, Texas Tech University and Kent State University. For more information about the 2018 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university has an enrollment of 3,000 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, chief diversity officer and associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4215 or lhernandezjarvis@whitworth.edu
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu
“We are honored to receive this recognition, and I thank and applaud the successful collective efforts of faculty, staff, students and senior leadership,” says Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, chief diversity officer and associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. “The university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is so strong because it is anchored on our Christ-centered rationale to seek reconciliation, peace, justice and inclusion.”
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Whitworth based on its many efforts in the recruitment and retention of a diversified population. One example is the Intergroup Dialogue and Diversity Education program. Through this annual program, 24 faculty and staff members participate in a three-day summer workshop on intergroup dialogue and diversity education, followed by monthly meetings through the academic year. Participants develop intergroup dialogue and facilitation skills, learning how to engage in difficult conversations with all members of the community.
The award also recognizes the value of several of Whitworth’s student-focused diversity and inclusion programs. These include cultural-diversity advocates in every resident hall, peer mentoring programs for first-generation and underrepresented students, and the annual Diversity Monologues program.
Other recipients of the HEED award include Oregon State University, Texas Tech University and Kent State University. For more information about the 2018 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university has an enrollment of 3,000 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, chief diversity officer and associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4215 or lhernandezjarvis@whitworth.edu
Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu
