CSUSM Wins National Diversity Award for 11th Straight Year

Cal State San Marcos has received the 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

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 - CSUSM will be featured along with 113 other recipients in the November/December 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine.

This marks the 11^th consecutive year that CSUSM has been named a HEED Award recipient. The university is one of only 21 schools that have won the award, which was instituted in 2012, at least 11 years in a row.

Insight Into Diversity magazine selected CSUSM based on the institution's exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to support a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as all others.

"I am deeply honored that Cal State San Marcos has received the HEED Award for the 11th consecutive year," CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. "This recognition reaffirms our ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive campus where every student, faculty member and staff member feels a true sense of belonging. At CSUSM, we believe that our diversity is at the core of this university's excellence, and this award reflects the collective efforts of our entire campus community to create a learning environment that values and supports all individuals. We remain steadfast in our focus to advance diversity, educational equity and social mobility, and I am immensely proud of the progress we continue to make together."

CSUSM is one of just four CSU schools to win the HEED Award this year. The others are Cal State Los Angeles, Fresno State and San Diego State.

"The California State University system continues to provide amazing access to a high-quality education and an opportunity to improve the quality of life for most deserving populations in our nation," said Aswad Allen, CSUSM's chief diversity officer. "This recognition continues to signal that CSUSM's staff and faculty play a significant role in accomplishing these goals. Congratulations to our entire community for moving us beyond ideas to actions."

For more information about the 2024 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com. For more information about diversity and inclusion at CSUSM, visit the Office of Inclusive Excellence at www.csusm.edu/equityor email [email protected].