The UH Law Center alongside UH Main Campus and UH-Downtown were honored with the HEED diversity award. | File Photo
The University prides itself as an institution that is committed to creating a welcoming environment of diversity, and its inclusion practices have become award-winning.
UH, UH Law Center and UH-Downtown received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine and will be acknowledged in their November 2019 issue among 92 recipients.
The HEED award recognizes colleges and universities that “demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion,” according to INSIGHT Into Diversity.
“One of our priorities has been to diversify our faculty to reflect the diversity of the student body,” said President Renu Khator at her 2019 Fall Address.
INSIGHT Into Diversity chooses its HEED award recipients by measuring an institution’s “level of achievement and intensity of commitment” toward broadening diversity and inclusion on campus.
These strides are made by university initiatives, programs and outreach, as well as student recruitment and hiring practices for faculty and staff.
In the last five years, the amount of minority faculty who are tenured, or on tenure track, has risen from 12 percent to 29 percent, Khator said.
“The challenging news is that we still have quite a way to go,” Khator said. “I applaud our provost, deans and search committees for making a conscious effort in finding the most talented candidates for the job who also happen to be from diverse backgrounds.”
Students come to UH from more than 137 nations and from across the world, as of Fall 2018, according to the Center for Diversity and Inclusion
UH’s student population, as of Fall 2018, is 31.8 percent Hispanic, 24.6 percent White, 20.7 percent Asian-American, 9.7 percent African-American and 7.9 percent international, according to a UH report.
As part of UH’s mission to “engage, empower, and educate” the diverse population, the Center for Diversity and inclusion hosts diversity-related training seminars and workshops, provides a library of diversity focused books, articles, movies, etc. and partners with student organizations and departments to increase diversity outreach.
“The Center offers diversity related training and seminars to help students become active citizens who are able to identify and work within the needs, strengths and challenges of a diverse environment,” according to the Center for Diversity and Inclusion’s website.
