Through our goals Washington University intends to judge itself by the most demanding standards; to attract people of great ability from all types of backgrounds; to encourage faculty and students to be bold, independent, and creative thinkers; and to provide the infrastructure to support teaching, research, scholarship, and service for the present and for future generations.
— Excerpt from the Washington University Mission Statement
Grounded in the Mission Statement, the Washington University Diversity Initiative was launched in July 2005. The focus of the initiative is to increase racial diversity and gender balance among the University's faculty and staff.