ECU receives award for its focus on diversity and inclusiveness

Kaylee Carroll-Carter shows off her Pirate Pride with an ECU face mask while talking on her cellphone at the Main Student Center. (Photo by Rhett Butler)

East Carolina University’s focus on diversity and inclusiveness has been recognized for the ninth consecutive year with the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.

The HEED award, sponsored by Insight into Diversity magazine, recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. The 2020 award winners were selected for initiatives that focus on all aspects of diversity including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.

“ECU is deeply committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and we are pleased that our intentional efforts are being recognized,” said LaKesha Alston Forbes, associate provost for equity and diversity and chief diversity officer at ECU. “Clearly, the data show our increasingly diverse university community. However, to simply celebrate these achievements without acknowledging that much more needs to be done would be disingenuous.”

Recognizing the social justice movement, the university is committed to listening, learning and leading action against systematic racism and injustice. This summer, the university launched a new Inclusive Listening Session series, providing opportunities for ECU faculty and staff to have conversations about issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, social justice and cross-cultural communication. The first session in the series focused on the impact of racism and racial injustice, and featured faculty and staff who shared personal experiences.

The university hosts periodic Cupula Conversations that aim to create informal opportunities for the university community to engage in constructive dialogue about a range of diversity-related topics. A series of three Cupula Conversations over the summer focused on systematic racism and inequity.

ECU student Aaron Williams works in Joyner Library. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)

ECU’s institutional anti-racism campaign, “Pledge to ACT Against Racism and Injustice,” challenges individuals to commit to working for social, cultural and structural change. The program provides a framework, resources and other support for action-oriented steps to act against racism and injustice.

This fall, Interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson will sponsor training for senior leaders across the university that will present a historical, cultural and structural analysis of racism. Additionally the chancellor will lead discussions to strategize around equity gaps in employee and student success.

ECU’s mission statement includes preparing students to succeed in a global, multicultural society, and the university’s strategic plan includes ECU’s responsibility to “embrace an inclusive university community and (commit) to recruiting and retaining faculty and staff with diverse backgrounds.” ECU promotes a diverse, respectful and inclusive environment through a variety of educational programs, training and seminars.

The university will be featured in the November issue of Insight into Diversity magazine.