Virginia Tech recognized as ‘Top College for Diversity’ and ‘Diversity Champion’

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 throughout their campus, Virginia Tech will be featured, along with 95 other recipients, in the November 2018 HEED Award issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

INSIGHT Into Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity publication and website in higher education, also recognizes selected institutions — those that rank in the top tier of HEED Award recipients — as Diversity Champions. These institutions exemplify an unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout their campus communities, across academic programs, and at the highest administrative levels.

Known for visionary leadership, Diversity Champions are institutions that serve as role models and set the standard for thousands of other U.S. college campuses striving for inclusive excellence.

“Virginia Tech is a visionary leader among institutions of higher education striving for inclusive excellence throughout their campus,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “As a Diversity Champion school, Virginia Tech exceeds everyday expectations by developing successful strategies and programs that serve as models of excellence for other higher education institutions.”

“At Virginia Tech, inclusion is rooted in our daily experiences,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. “Cultivating, adhering to, and promoting an inclusive culture is an essential component in attracting talent that drives increased creativity, productivity, and innovation. We remain committed to these principles as part of the fabric of our culture, our behavior, our programs, and our everyday interactions.”

“We are proud to be honored as Diversity Champions for the third straight year,” said Menah Pratt-Clarke,  vice president for strategic affairs and vice provost for inclusion and diversity at Virginia Tech. “This recognition is consistent with our focus on promoting sustainable transformation at Virginia Tech around inclusion and diversity. We stand firm as we collectively embody Inclusive VT, our institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence.”