Shippensburg University received the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 

Ship is one of 100 recipients nationwide to be featured in the November 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, a national honor that recognizes institutions with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion.   

“We are proud of our hard work that makes our university community a place of belonging for all, and thrilled with this national recognition of distinction,” said Stephanie Jirard, chief diversity officer, adding that this is the first year the university applied and embraces the inaugural award. “Ship is committed to social equity and social justice. We proudly join our fellow HEED Award winners in integrating diversity and inclusion everywhere on our respective campuses.”  

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Ship for its everyday commitment to diversity and inclusion which includes the One Campus, Many Cultures and Diversity Week initiative, the Celebrate Diversity series of monthly events, comprehensive online resources, chosen name and gender-neutral housing and bathroom policies, Multi-Cultural Student Association, and its deep interconnection with student advocacy groups. 

“We are humbled and honored to receive this national distinction from INSIGHT Into Diversity,” noted Charles Patterson, PhD, interim president of Shippensburg University. “I am a stalwart supporter of equal opportunity to education and I am proud of everyone at Ship who work tirelessly every day to create a community that values and nurtures pluralism and diversity.“  

“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 — continued leadership support for diversity, and 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.”  

For more information about the 2021 HEED Award and other awardees, visit insightintodiversity.com.  

For more information about Shippensburg University visit ship.edu