GMercyU Earns Higher Education Excellence and Distinction Award for Second Consecutive Year
Gwynedd Mercy University has earned the 2026 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia magazine, awarded to U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging, and community-building across all levels of campus life. This marks the second consecutive year GMercyU has received the honor.
Inclusion and belonging at GMercyU are woven into how we live and work every day. As a Mercy institution, we are grounded in a strong foundation of respect and dignity, and this award reinforces the importance of creating a community where every Griffin feels welcomed and valued.
-Tatiana Diaz, Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
GMercyU integrates programs that foster inclusion and belonging, including the Integrated Studies program, a student-centered postsecondary program for individuals ages 18–26 with intellectual disabilities, and the Griffin Scholars Program and Student Opportunities for Access and Resilience (SOAR), which support underrepresented and first-generation students transition to college. The University extends that commitment to its workforce through employee Community Resource Groups, groups for faculty and staff of color, LGBTQ+ employees and allies, and first-generation employees, helping strengthen connection and inclusion across the campus community.
The HEED award celebrates institutions that have implemented strategies to support excellence in student success, employee recruitment and retention, and the creation of welcoming environments where everyone can succeed. Applications are evaluated across recruitment, retention, policy, programs, leadership, and more.
“We use a detailed scoring process as well as a holistic approach to reviewing each application to determine who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,” said Lenore Pearlstein, Co-Publisher of Insight into Academia magazine.