Cronkite Recognized for Commitment to Diversity

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication has received the inaugural Institutional Inclusion Award from Arizona State University in recognition of its efforts to advance diversity and inclusion at the institutional level. ASU’s new College Award for Contributions to Institutional Inclusion was presented to Dean Christopher Callahan at the 2012 Faculty Excellence Awards ceremony. The award honors an ASU college whose efforts to promote diversity and inclusion align with ASU’s diversity plan and reflect the value the university places on inclusion. The award includes a $5,000 grant to fund a visit to the school from a renowned diversity scholar as part of the university’s Diversity Scholar Series, an initiative established in 2004 by the Office of Institutional Inclusion to promote discussion of diversity issues. In presenting the award, ASU Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth D. Capaldi praised Cronkite’s “remarkable commitment” to inclusion, citing the school’s development of a specialization focused on reporting in Latino communities, its establishment of the first student chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and its outreach to minority high school and undergraduate students as well as its support of innovative faculty projects that explore diversity issues. Capaldi also noted that the school’s minority enrollment has increased in recent years. “We’re honored to receive the university’s first college inclusion award,” Callahan said. “It’s a testament to the importance of news media diversity to our talented faculty, dedicated staff and passionate students.” The announcement comes as a group of Cronkite students, faculty and staff represents the school at this year’s UNITY Convention, a gathering of journalists of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender journalists; and media professionals and journalism educators interested in issues of diversity and inclusion in the news media.