An Inclusive Community

The University of Rochester envisions itself as a community that welcomes, encourages, and supports individuals who desire to contribute to and benefit from the institution’s missions of teaching, research, patient care, performance, and community service. In a pluralistic culture, that community includes faculty, students, and staff who represent important differences.

Members of the University’s community come from different geographical areas, represent differences in ethnicities, religious beliefs, values, socioeconomic backgrounds, and points of view; they may be physically different, have different intellectual interests, or have different abilities. The University not only welcomes such differences in the members of its community but, in fulfilling its own missions and in preparing the leaders of tomorrow’s world who will necessarily be operating in an equally wide-ranging environment, it actively seeks to recruit and include diverse personnel in all aspects of the institution’s operations. The University has been more successful in some instances than in others in attracting and retaining participants from such a demographically broad base.

The University of Rochester values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law. Further, the University complies with all applicable nondiscrimination laws in the administration of its policies, programs, and activities. Questions on compliance should be directed to the particular school or department and/or to Equal Opportunity at Rochester.

To be inclusive in the broad sense defined by the University’s mission, much remains to be done beyond compliance with the law and explicit language about equal opportunity. Further, the University’s activities in this regard must always be directed to the enhancement of the human dignity of all members of its community; that must include strategies that foster appreciation for our many differences. These are essential to the success of the institution’s missions.

The University has a goal of ensuring an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of its constituents. Success will be measured by relative progress determined by quality and contributions to overall institutional goals and missions. That requires vigorous, systematic, consistent, and enduring actions in all University domains.

The University of Rochester is an institution devoted to teaching, research, and service. We do these at world-class levels. The challenges facing us as we work to be more inclusive and provide a welcoming environment will respond to our skills as teachers and learners. In the context of our commitment to being more inclusive and diverse, we can apply these skills to the continuing work of transforming our environment in ways that enable greater participation, enhance human dignity, eliminate prejudice and discrimination, and improve the quality of life for everyone.