Drexel Recognized for its Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Drexel University has received the 2023 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity in recognition of its ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion.
For Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Kim Gholston and Assistant Vice President for Inclusive Culture and Belonging Patience Ajoff-Foster, PhD, who submitted the application to be honored with the accolade, the award is a way of reviewing and assessing the University’s work in recent years in equity and inclusion.
“It was a really good assessment for us because it allowed us to see opportunities for growth and future areas where resources and education are needed,” said Gholston. “It was just the icing on the cake to actually win the award.”
Submitting the application — though not necessarily winning — was a strategic goal of the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture (EIC) this year. INSIGHT Into Diversity is both the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, and the award is highly prestigious.
It’s also something that had been discussed by Gholston and Ajoff-Foster with Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leslie Ashburn-Nardo, PhD, and Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture (EIC) Program Manager Roxzine Scott, as a way to measure the University’s work in recent years towards becoming an anti-racist institution cultivating a culture of belonging.
Ajoff-Foster noted that the EIC works with partners and champions on campus, including its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Partners coalition with academic and administrative units, and that “there are many more people who are committed to making Drexel an inclusive campus, and this award is a testament to that. It’s not just for our work or our office. It’s for all of us at Drexel.”
The lengthy application evaluated the University in a variety of areas, including demographic representation, student retention related to race and ethnicity, communication efforts, inclusive hiring, faculty and professional staff recruitment, policies and supplier diversity, for a few examples.
Drexel was specifically recognized for its Anti-Racism Demographic Dashboards, which are public-facing snapshots of the Drexel population by race/ethnicity from 2018–2022. The dashboards came out of recommendations from the University’s Anti-Racism Task Force (ARTF) along with other areas highlighted by INSIGHT Into Diversity, such as policy changes, community engagement and more extensive inclusive hiring practices. Drexel’s various Build Relationships in Diverse Group Experiences (BRIDGE) programs were also highlighted; the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business’ BRIDGE Program received the publication’s 2023 Inspiring Programs in Business Award. The new Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position (held by Leslie Ashburn-Nardo, PhD, who Ajoff-Foster noted was a key part of the academic and faculty-related aspects of the application) was also recognized through the HEED Award and came from an ARTF recommendation.
“This year felt more like the right timing, given where we are, and it also was a useful tool for us to hold up the mirror and see where we were doing work, where we were doing relatively well and where we were where we had some opportunities” said Ajoff-Foster.
She added that they’re working on being responsive, rather than reactive, to what’s currently happening not just at Drexel but in the country and around the world. They’ve also completed more assessments led by Student Life, such as the Interfaith, Spiritual, Religious, and Secular Campus Climate (INSPIRES) Index and the Campus Pride Index, and are using recommendations from these to inform how they are serving and can better serve different populations at Drexel.
“I think we’ve come a long way in a very short period with the work that we’re doing. And I also think it speaks to our commitment, because we’re continuing to work on this and we’re building it into the DNA of Drexel University,” said Gholston. “But it also shows that we have a long way to go. The work continues.”