Colorado Springs, CO- Wednesday, October 2, 2024 — Pikes Peak State College 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 — Pikes Peak State College will be featured, along with 113 other recipients, in the November/December 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine. Pikes Peak State College had also been named as a HEED Award recipient in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

"Being recognized with the 2024 HEED Award is a testament to the ongoing efforts of our faculty, staff, and students to create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to succeed,” says Dr. Enrique Romo, Vice President of Student Experience and Equity. “This honor fuels our dedication to continue building a campus that celebrates diversity and provides equitable access to opportunities for all students, faculty, and staff."

Insight Into Diversity magazine selected Pikes Peak State College for its commitment to equity and inclusion, demonstrated through multiple initiatives. PPSC is aggressively pursuing Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation and recently created a Division of Student Experience and Equity. The college also integrates social justice-focused assignments, inclusive teaching practices, bilingual support classes, and mentorship programs to foster an environment where all students, particularly those from historically underserved communities, can thrive. Furthermore, the Promise Programs at PPSC demonstrate its commitment to inclusion and academic persistence through resources and individual coaching experiences leading students to success.

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the 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 Insight Into Diversity magazine. “We take a detailed approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. 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.”

About Pikes Peak State College (PPSC)
Established in 1968 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Pikes Peak offers associate degrees, certificates in career and technical fields and a growing number of bachelors’ degrees. With four campuses, various off-campus locations, two military education centers, and hundreds of online classes, PPSC provides access to a quality, affordable and flexible education to more than 17,000 students annually with both credit and non-credit classes.

For more information about Pikes Peak State College, visit pikespeak.edu.

About Insight Into Diversity
Insight Into Diversity magazine is the leader in advancing best practices in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in higher education. Through thought-provoking print and online articles, we share expert advice, valuable resources, in-depth profiles of top DEI programs at colleges and universities, headline news, and much more to help keep our readers informed and empower them to advance DEI initiatives at their institutions. To further our mission, we created the Insight Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2012. The HEED Award — including the more targeted Insight Into Diversity Health Professions, Law School, and Community College HEED Awards — is the only national honor to recognize institutions of higher education for their outstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Current, archived, and digital issues of Insight Into Diversity magazine are available online at insightintodiversity.com.

For more information about the 2024 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

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