University of La Verne Receives Award for Diversit

LA VERNE, Calif., Oct. 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today the University of La Verne received the 2013 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

La Verne is one of 55 institutions across the nation to be recognized with this national honor, given to colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. This is the first year La Verne has been named as a HEED Award recipient.

"This is a great honor and one that the university is very proud of," said Dr. Joy Lei, the university's Chief Diversity and Inclusivity Officer. "The award is a recognition of the important work individuals across the campus do to live out the university's mission of supporting a diverse and inclusive environment for our students, faculty and staff."

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected University of La Verne based on the institution's exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity on the campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT community.

For more than a century, the University of La Verne has embraced diversity and inclusivity as one of its official core values.

"We hope the HEED award serves as a way to honor those institutions of higher education that recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion as part of their everyday campus culture," said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

INSIGHT Into Diversity, a publication celebrating its 40 ^th year in 2014, is known for its annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only award recognizing colleges and universities for outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts across campuses. The magazine presents timely, thought-provoking news and resources on matters of diversity and inclusion across higher education and corporate campuses. Feature stories include interviews with innovators and experts, and profiles of best practices and model programs. Readers also find career opportunities that connect job seekers with institutions and businesses embracing a diverse and inclusive workforce. Current, archived and digital issues of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine are available at www.insightintodiversity.com .

Photos accompanying this release are available at:

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Mark Vidal, 909-448-4646