Diversity and inclusion programs recognized for second year in a row 

DENTON (UNT), Texas — The University of North Texas is continuing to earn national recognition for its efforts in diversity and inclusion.

For the second consecutive year, UNT has earned the 2019 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 — UNT is featured, along with 92 other recipients, in the November 2019 issue.

“We are delighted that the University of North Texas was selected to receive the HEED award for the second consecutive year,” said Joanne G. Woodard, vice president for Institutional Equity and Diversity at UNT. “This award is a recognition of the institution’s demonstrated commitment to and progress in achieving a diverse and inclusive campus community where all faculty, staff and students can thrive.” 

In addition to the HEED award, UNT was recently ranked in the top 100 schools nationwide for ethnic diversity by U.S. News and World Report. These awards recognize opportunities available to minority students, as well as the university’s efforts in building strong diversity and inclusion programs.

Among the university’s newest diversity and inclusion programs is the Latinx Advisory Council, an affinity group for UNT’s Latinx alumni designed to support the institutional equity and diversity’s Latinx Student Initiative. The student initiative focuses on recruiting and supporting Latinx students through a cultural approach. The council will create support groups for students based on their majors and provide peer support and activities designed to keep Latinx students engaged in campus life.

While UNT continues to create new programming, its existing programs also play an important role. In its fourth year, A Few Good Men is a unique, best practice program housed in the Multicultural Center and led by UNT alumni who provide mentoring and career development skills to minority men. The program is designed to improve participants’ retention and graduation rates and to enhance their opportunities to find meaningful internships and jobs. 

Last year, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine featured two UNT programs in its November HEED award edition: the Male Alliance for a Rigorous, Transformative and Interdisciplinary Approach to Learning (MARTIAL) Eagles and the Pride Alliance’s OUTfits Clothing Closet.