For the second year in a row, SUNY Old Westbury has been honored with the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. According to the publication, this award “measures an institution’s level of achievement and intensity of commitment in regard to broadening diversity and inclusion on campus through initiatives, programs, and outreach; student recruitment, retention, and completion; and hiring practices for faculty and staff.”
SUNY OW is one of only eight schools in the State of New York to receive this award, along with only ninety-three others across the US. On the topic of the school winning the award, President Calvin O. Butts III said, “As it has been since our founding more than 50 years ago, SUNY Old Westbury’s mission continues to include cultivating an inclusive campus environment that fosters diversity in culture, thought, and deed.”
Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, has been quoted as saying, “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.”
The magazine highlights the Interfaith Center on campus (located in the student union room 326), where students of various religious and spiritual backgrounds can meet, as well as offer meditation activities by the counseling and psychological wellness services office. Other diversity programs and events created and held on campus are by the center for student leadership and involvement. These events include the celebrations of Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month. A recurring event is the school’s Culture Café event where students are welcome to sample cuisine from and learn facts about other cultures in celebration of Cambodian Independence Day, Chinese New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, and Jewish American Heritage Month. The Lavender Graduation ceremony is held to recognize graduating students that have contributed to both the SUNY OW campus and the LGBTQ+ community.
INSIGHT Into Diversity was founded in 1974 and is “the oldest and largest diversity magazine and website in higher education.” SUNY OW and the other 2019 HEED Award recipients are recognized in the magazine’s November 2019 issue.