Rutgers University School of Nursing has received the 2024 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. This is the third consecutive year that the Rutgers school has received this national honor recognizing colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Rutgers school is one of just 20 nursing programs selected to receive the Health Professions HEED award, presented this year to 70 schools representing a range of health professions. The awardees will be featured in the November/ December 2024 issue of Insight Into Diversity magazine.

“We are delighted to receive this prestigious recognition for the third year in a row,” said Angela R. Starkweather (PhD, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN), dean and professor at Rutgers School of Nursing.  “It’s a testament to the dedicated work of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in education and practice.”

DEI initiatives at Rutgers School of Nursing include the Dean’s Committee on Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias — a permanent committee charged with making actionable recommendations to the Dean, a robust DEI action plan, and ongoing impact dialogue circles for faculty, staff, and students.

Faculty scholars are conducting important research aimed at tackling racism and bias in the nursing workforce and reducing health disparities among diverse populations. Their ongoing work is being amplified, and new initiatives are being developed under the umbrella of the newly established Center for Health Equity and Systems Research. Additionally, Rutgers School of Nursing is home to the Multicultural Nurse Leadership Institute for early-career nurses aspiring to greater leadership expertise and opportunities.

The school boasts a highly diverse student body: 65% of full-time students are from racial/ethnic minority groups. Proud of its higher-than-average proportion of male students (16 percent) in a majority white female profession, the school has been recognized six years in a row (2018-2023) with the Best Schools for Men in Nursing Award from the American Association for Men in Nursing.

“The Health Professions 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 — continued leadership support for diversity, and 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 Health Professions HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for schools where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being done every day across their campus.”