UK was recently named a Diversity Champion campus by INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine, distinguishing it as one of only 15 campuses nationwide to receive the honor.

“It is an honor to be chosen by INSIGHT Into Diversity as a Diversity Champion,” said Sonja Feist-Price, UK’s vice president for Institutional Diversity. She said this honor was evidence of how hard every Wildcat works to make the campus diverse and welcoming.

“When everyone contributes, everyone benefits,” Feist-Price said. “A more diverse campus makes us a stronger campus. It makes us a stronger community.”

Feist-Price said that all UK students will be entering a world with a global economy and interdependent cities, states and countries. Understanding different backgrounds while in college prepares students to enter that “diverse world,” she said.

“Preparing students for a multifaceted world requires that an institution shows that they value the history, cultures, beliefs and views of the different students that attend the University,” said Hadeel Abdallah, adviser for the Muslim Student Association Midwest Conference.

Abdallah, a UK political science and Arabic and Islamic studies junior, is also the Director of Inclusion and Outreach for the Student Government Association.

“I most definitely believe that the University of Kentucky is doing its best in trying to move forward to make every student feel welcome, and I look forward to seeing those initiatives implemented,” Abdallah said.

“We recognize the efforts being taken by Upper Administration and SGA to ensure the University of Kentucky is a place that welcomes diversity and inclusion,” Black Student Union President David Sims said. “This goes for all students expressing diversity of thought, cultural experience and personal beliefs.”

Sims also feels that UK must look ahead and continue to focus on improving its diversity.

“Diversity in the classroom has fallen behind, specifically with regards to our faculty members,” he said. “Students of color can go all four years at UK and only have the opportunity to be taught by a professor of color a handful of times.”

Sims said he feels that a faculty body lacking diversity hinders a diverse student body.

“Diversity gives us an unbelievable opportunity to learn and grow as a community,” he said. “However, when our professors all fall within the same category on the diversity spectrum, failing to represent the wide variety of diverse cultures, experiences and beliefs we see from our student body, this hinders the opportunity to learn and grow offered through diversity.”

INSIGHT Into Diversity is the longest-standing diversity publication, leading other magazines in recognizing diverse college campuses. It focuses on modern and relevant information on successful programs that can increase diversity in post-secondary education. To read more, visit www.insightintodiversity.com.