Texas Tech Honored for Commitment to Diversity

Texas Tech University received recognition Saturday (Sept. 27) for its commitment to diversity by the Minority Access Inc. organization during its ninth National Role Models Conference in Arlington, Va.

 

"Texas Tech was nominated for the award because of our increasing visibility as a state and national leader in approaches to realizing diversity in higher education," said Juan Munoz, special assistant to the president for institutional diversity. "This national recognition makes abundantly clear that Texas Tech is helping to set the standard for effective practices and outcomes related to diversity, equity and inclusive excellence on college and university campuses."

 

Texas Tech was the only four-year institution in Texas to receive this award. Through programs led by the Office of Institutional Diversity, the Cross Cultural Academic Advancement Center, the individual colleges and campus units, Texas Tech is making the necessary and coordinated investments to create a learning environment of the highest caliber, and within which all members of the university community can be individually and collectively successful, said Munoz.

 

Minority Access Inc. is a non-profit educational organization that supports individuals, academic institutions, federal, state and local government agencies and various corporations to diversify campuses and work sites by improving the recruitment, retention and enhancement of minorities. The organization also provides technical assistance to minorities and minority-serving institutions in order to improve the higher educational, professional and managerial employment of minorities.

 

The organization cooperates with the Office of Minority Health of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to help close the health disparities gap between minorities and the general population.

 

"Minority Access seeks to increase the participation of minorities in biomedical research by identifying and honoring as role models exemplary students to help increase the pool of researchers," said Munoz. "As an extension of that goal, Minority Access identifies and recognizes institutions such as Texas Tech that are committed to diversity."