GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA — Gwynedd Mercy University earned the Higher Education Excellence and Distinction Award for a second consecutive year in 2026, extending its recognition for programs aimed at student access, retention, and campus belonging.
Insight Into Academia magazine awards the HEED designation to U.S. colleges and universities based on factors including student recruitment and retention, institutional policies, programs and leadership.
The university cited several programs as part of its approach, including Integrated Studies, a postsecondary program for people ages 18 to 26 with intellectual disabilities.
Gwynedd Mercy also operates the Griffin Scholars Program and Student Opportunities for Access and Resilience, or SOAR, which provide support for underrepresented and first-generation students transitioning to college.
The university extends those efforts to its workforce through Community Resource Groups for faculty and staff of color, LGBTQ+ employees and allies, and first-generation employees.
“Inclusion and belonging at GMercyU are woven into how we live and work every day,” Tatiana Diaz, assistant vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, said.
The HEED application process evaluates institutions across areas including recruitment, retention, policy, programs and leadership.
“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,” Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of Insight Into Academia, stated.
Pearlstein indicated that the publication looks for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are integrated across campus operations.
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