Because the core mission of the University of California is to serve the interests of the state of California, it must seek to achieve diversity among its student bodies and among its employees. The state of California has a compelling interest in making sure people from all backgrounds perceive that access to the university is possible for talented students, staff and faculty from all groups. The knowledge that the University of California is open to qualified students from all groups, and thus serves all parts of the community equitably, helps sustain the social fabric of the state.
Diversity should also be integral to the university’s achievement of excellence. Diversity can enhance the ability of the university to accomplish its academic mission. Diversity aims to broaden and deepen both the educational experience and the scholarly environment, as students and faculty learn to interact effectively with each other, preparing them to participate in an increasingly complex and pluralistic society. Ideas, and practices based on those ideas, can be made richer by the process of being born and nurtured in a diverse community. The pluralistic university can model a process of proposing and testing ideas through respectful, civil communication. Educational excellence that truly incorporates diversity thus can promote mutual respect and make possible the full, effective use of the talents and abilities of all to foster innovation and train futu
