Cal State LA receives INSIGHT Into Diversity’s 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity awards

Cal State LA has received double honors from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the nation's largest and oldest publication dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education.

The magazine recently recognized Cal State LA with its 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. The university is one of eight institutions in California to receive the honor. This is the sixth time that Cal State LA has received a HEED Award.

Additionally, INSIGHT Into Diversity granted the university the 2024 Health Professions HEED Award for its success in fostering diversity and inclusion in the Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing at Cal State LA. The Health Professions HEED Award recognizes U.S. health colleges and universities that exhibit excellence in DEI initiatives and strategies. This is the eighth time that Cal State LA has received the Health Professions HEED Award since 2016.

"Cal State LA places an emphasis on cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus where everyone feels safe and welcomed," said Cal State LA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes. "Our equity focused teams, consisting of faculty and staff, ensure that DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) practices are in place in the recruiting, hiring, and retention of faculty and staff, and in fostering student success. DEIB is a guiding force in everything we do at the university."

As a recipient of the 2024 awards, Cal State LA will be featured in the November/December 2024 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity.

"The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to recruitment and retention of students and employees-and best practices for both-leadership support for diversity, campus culture and climate, supplier diversity, and many other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion," said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of the magazine. "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."

Cal State LA is committed to promoting DEIB in the campus community. The university is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Minority-Serving Institution, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution.

The Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing in the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services transforms lives and fosters healthy, thriving communities across greater Los Angeles, Southern California, and the nation by cultivating and amplifying students' unique talents, diverse life experiences, and intellect. For more than two decades, U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked Cal State LA's nursing graduate program among the top 10 programs in California. The nursing undergraduate and graduate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

This fall, Pathway Programs at Cal State LA has launched College Readiness, Achievement and Retention (CREAR) Futuros, a distinguished peer-mentoring initiative dedicated to bolstering the academic success of Latina/o/x students on campus. This program, sponsored by the Hispanic Federation and in collaboration with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, marks the first CREAR Futuros partnership on the West Coast. Cal State LA joins 13 other colleges and universities nationwide in fostering a nurturing community that empowers Latina/o/x students to complete their higher education journey.

As a premier public university in vibrant and diverse Los Angeles, Cal State LA continues to propel its students to greater prosperity. Cal State LA ranks number one in the nation for providing the most economic mobility, according to a recent report by public policy think tank Third Way. The Economic Mobility Index 2024 report analyzed which schools enroll the highest proportion of students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds and provide them with a strong return on their educational investment. The study rates the nation's four-year colleges based on calculations that consider the proportion of students receiving Pell Grants, the cost of attendance, and students' expected earnings after graduation.

"On behalf of the INSIGHT Into Diversity HEED award committee, our sincerest congratulations to your entire institution on being recognized with this unique, prestigious national honor," said publisher Holly Mendelson. "This year's winners truly are an inspiration to all of us who are working so diligently to make a difference in the lives of all individuals from underrepresented groups."

For more information about the 2024 HEED awards, visit the INSIGHT Into Diversity webpage.

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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.