Today, Jackson State University President Carolyn W. Meyers received the 2016 Giving Back Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Giving Back Award honors presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities who go above and beyond their everyday leadership duties and “give back” to their campuses and communities. Meyers will be featured, along with 26 other recipients, in the April 2016 Leadership Support and Giving Back issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
“Her own story — facing challenges of underrepresented groups in society generally and of facing challenges in obtaining access to education because of her race or gender more specifically — further endows her with the drive and compassion for underrepresented, and for all, students. She is a president with much heart and compassion,” said Dr. Loretta Moore, vice president for Research and Federal Relations at JSU.
Giving Back Award recipients were nominated by a colleague and selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on their outstanding demonstration of social responsibility, a commitment to charitable services and involvement with students, faculty and staff to serve underrepresented populations. Moore, Dr. Evelyn Leggette, provost and senior vice president of Academic and Student Affairs; Dr. Thomas Calhoun, associate provost and vice president of academic affairs; and Thomas Hudson, chief diversity and equal opportunity officer at the university, jointly nominated Meyers for the award.
Hudson said, “This is a very important award to recognize and encourage those who are working so hard to make our society en even better place. Exemplars of inclusion, like Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers, are so very deserving of recognition.”
Each honoree is recognized for his or her passion, dedication and philanthropic achievements.
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected Meyers because under her leadership, JSU became eligible for a significant increase in its endowment by achieving non-black enrollment of approximately or greater than 10 percent for three straight years. Meyers was cited for her personal outreach through various organizations including serving as a board member for the American Council of Education, Downtown Jackson Partners and Riverside Health System Foundation, among many others. She was further applauded for her work with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities/NASCLGU Joint Task Force on Diversity.
“The Giving Back Award is being given to leaders of institutions of higher education who exemplify what it truly means to ‘give back’ to others,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “These presidents and chancellors are role models, and we honor their efforts to give back to everyone on their campuses and in their communities.”
A call for nominations for the award was announced in October 2015. Award recipients include presidents and chancellors of both community colleges and baccalaureate-granting institutions.