The Corporate Diversity Award will be presented to Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP on Nov. 30 at the 19th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are humbled and thrilled to receive this outstanding recognition,\u201d Lombardi said. \u201cË¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPhas worked strategically and passionately to build a diverse and inclusive learning environment and that work will continue to accelerate and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
To signify the importance of this commitment, diversity and inclusion are core values of Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP and one of the pillars of the institution\u2019s strategic plan, \u201cA New Century of Higher Education: Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP2022.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough a clear and determined strategy that will not end, we have recruited a more diverse student body, faculty, and staff who engage in a wide variety of curricular and enrichment programs designed to build a truly inclusive campus culture,” Lombardi said. “We are by no means finished, but led by our Office of Diversity and Inclusion<\/a> we believe that issues surrounding diversity and inclusion can be addressed and solved through engaged civil dialogue and respect for all people and their experiences.”<\/p>\n Over the past five years, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPhas intentionally worked toward building a more diverse campus community. Students of color represent 23 percent of the total student population, and that number has doubled since 2008. The number of diverse faculty and staff tripled over the same time period.<\/p>\n Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPis highly focused on expanding access to higher education for all students. The University\u2019s Multicultural Scholarship program has grown exponentially over the past five years\u2014the number of scholarship participants increased by 54 percent in the past year alone. The vital goal of ensuring access to higher education continues to expand, and the University has raised millions from generous donors and matched those funds with institutional support to open the doors of access for several hundred students from the St. Louis region and beyond.<\/p>\n Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPcontinually strives to bend the cost curve of higher education to break down barriers to college. Backed by sound financial planning, the University announced a tuition freeze for the 2018-2019 academic year, marking the third freeze of tuition and fees in the last four years.<\/p>\n