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Millersville: Five-Time Recipient of National Diversity Award

MU Gets Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award.

HEED_logo2016_tagAfter five consecutive years of winning the same award, one might expect a recipient’s excitement over the accomplishment to gradually diminish. Such is not the case for Millersville University.

Millersville University has now been nationally recognized for five consecutive years as a winner of INSIGHT into Diversity magazine’s Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.

“Our award streak is pretty unprecedented for this process,” says Jan Bechtel, current program director of Career & Life Studies at Millersville.

The HEED award is a national honor, annually recognizing the efforts and success of colleges and universities to encourage diversity and inclusion on their campuses. By celebrating educational institutions for making these goals priority, the HEED award is the only of its kind, making it a true honor to receive.

“This is a collaborative effort,” said Jan Bechtel, current program director of Career & Life Studies at Millersville, who has put coordinated the application process for HEED for each of the past five years. “I’ve had incredible support and collaboration from the departments that I engage with throughout the process. I would not be able to complete the application without their dedication to detail and assistance.”

From initiatives to programs, outreach to organizations, students to faculty and staff, Millersville University exhibits its commitment to broadening diversity and inclusion. MU continues to take initiative and make developments that allow a larger audience of students, faculty, staff and community members to feel safe, comfortable and confident on campus.

Bechtel became involved in this process as a graduate assistant and continued with it when she was the interim director of the Office of Diversity and Social Equity. She has completed the application every year since the award was established in 2012.

“While the efforts made at MU are not in pursuit of recognition or awards, the reception of such honors celebrate the progress this university has made in the past and will strive for in the future,” said Bechtel.

 

 

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