Fresno State has been nationally recognized with a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for the second-consecutive year.

The HEED award is presented by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, one of the oldest and largest diversity-focused publications in higher education.

The national honor recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

According to the magazine, Fresno State was selected for demonstrating exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as for embracing a broad definition of diversity on campus.

Fresno State will be one of 91 recipients featured in the November 2015 issue.

“Receiving this honor two years in a row speaks to the bold commitment we have at Fresno State to celebrating our differences and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all,” Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro said. “At Fresno State, diversity is essential to our academic excellence.”

In 2013, the President’s Commission on Human Relations and Equity at Fresno State launched “A Strategic Plan for Inclusion, Respect and Equity.”

The program has since hosted several events and initiatives in the past two years.

In addition to establishing gender-neutral restrooms on campus, the commission has hosted forums on race relations and a screening of “The Fresno Language Project.”

This week, Fresno State is holding the second annual Cross Cultural Celebration Week, an event celebrating different cultures that make up the campus community.

Fresno State is one of three California State University campuses that have received the 2015 HEED award. The other schools are Cal State East Bay and Cal State San Marcos.