University of California Outreach:
Systemwide Perspective & Strategic
Plan
The University of California has a long-standing commitment to the goal of enrolling a student body that encompasses the diversity of the state of California. Diversity at the University contributes in a direct and positive way to the educational experience, and also provides avenues of opportunity and social mobility to all sectors of society.
In its earliest years, the University focused on geographic diversity by recruiting students from around the state to attend the Berkeley campus. In the 1960s and ‘70s, the focus on diversity shifted primarily to academic development among racial and ethnic minority groups with low rates of University eligibility.
In July 1995, the University of California Board of Regents passed resolution SP-1, a policy eliminating consideration of race, ethnicity, and gender in admissions. At the same time, the Regents reaffirmed the university's commitment to diversity. To maintain UC's diversity and continue to expand it, the Regents established the Outreach Task Force. The task force was charged with identifying ways in which outreach could be employed to assure that the University remains accessible to students of diverse backgrounds.
The task force's findings were presented last year. This website describes the strategic plan that was developed to put into action those findings. Dr. Karl Pister, senior associate to UC President Richard C. Atkinson and formerly chancellor at UC Santa Cruz, presented this overview of the strategic plan to The Board of Regents in September. We have made his presentation, complete with charts and tables, available on the Internet using a variety of formats. We invite you to review this material and share it with your colleagues and students. The presentation can be downloaded from UCOP for your use in your community. It is our hope you will spread the word that UC remains open for all qualified students and that the university's committment to diversity is unwavering.
Karl Pister's report: