RVC Receives National Diversity and Inclusion Award

RVC Receives National Diversity and Inclusion Award

• Awards
• 01/24/2025

"When people congratulate me for receiving an honor like the HEED Award, I remind them that they did not give it to me. The HEED Award was presented to Rock Valley College (RVC), and it is a testament to our effort to create a campus and community that embodies trust, equity, and a sense of belonging," said Dr. Keith Barnes, RVC Vice President of Equity and Inclusion.

RVC 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, for its dedication to improving campus climate and culture for all students and employees. In total, 114 colleges/universities were recognized in the November/December 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine. This national honor recognizes U.S. colleges and universities demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

"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 and 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."

In Illinois, state legislation requires every university and community college to have an equity plan. According to the Equity Plan & Practices Framework published by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), students of color, low-income students, working adults, and rural students face big challenges in enrolling, staying in school, advancing, and graduating from college. To address these issues, A Thriving Illinois, P.A. 102-1046 (110 ILCS 205/9.16) created in June 2022 requires every college and university to create and follow an equity plan to close the gaps in access, progress, graduation, and achievement for these groups.

Under the law, these plans should focus on improving enrollment, retention, graduation, and student loan repayment rates for underrepresented groups, including students of color, low-income students, working adults, rural students, and people with disabilities. The goal is to help individuals, families, and communities across the state succeed.

While a state mandate may exist for this work, RVC has a longstanding commitment to equity and inclusion. For more than a decade, the college has had a committee of faculty, staff, and students who have led efforts on campus: Promoting an Inclusive Community (PAIC). This group has actively advocated for marginalized groups, implemented change to improve access for all students, and facilitated cultural awareness events and professional development opportunities.

When RVC appointed Dr. Howard Spearman its 8th president in 2020, he implemented multiple initiatives to improve equity and inclusion.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) were adopted as one of four strategic pillars for RVC
• A Diverse Vendor Enterprise Use Policy (Board Policy 5:10.140) to recognize the importance of using minority, women, and persons with disabilities-owned businesses
• Adoption of a DEI statement as Board Policy 4:10.260
  • Rock Valley College is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus where all learners can make progress toward their educational and career goals. Therefore, the College shall establish initiatives, measures, programs, procedures, and curriculum to advance equity and inclusion for students, staff, faculty, administration, vendors and contractors, and other community partners.
• Creation of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that includes a vice president, two DEI specialists, and an ADA compliance coordinator
• Completed an ADA Self-Evaluation Plan
• Implemented a digital accessibility roadmap to improve digital accessibility and access
• Launched campus-wide Transform Together DEI Foundation Level training
• Host Safe Zone training each semester; currently, there are 62 trained Safe Zone campus contacts at four different RVC locations

These items are only a fraction of the initiatives that led Insight Into Diversity to recognize RVC's achievements. RVC President Dr. Howard Spearman is proud of this award and optimistic about what this means for the future of the college.

"Receiving the HEED recognition is one of the many confirmations that we are advancing our strategic plan, which includes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, led by the efforts of our Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Keith Barnes. He and his team have done an amazing job developing a framework to cultivate a sense of belonging on campus for all students and employees."

Spearman continued, "Our mission is to empower students and community through lifelong learning, and our meaningful and intentional DEI efforts help make it possible. We achieve our mission by creating a space where every student feels they belong and can succeed. That's what makes us RVC Strong."

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.

Other recipients of the 2024 HEED Award are:

Community Colleges

Law & Graduate Schools

Undergraduate Institutions

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