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 StatementGrounded in the Mission Statement, the Washington University Diversity Initiative was launched in July 2005. This initiative included the creation of a
Coordinating Council for Diversity Initiatives (CCDI) and the appointment of a Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Diversity Initiatives. The focus of the initiative is to increase racial diversity and gender balance among the University's faculty and staff.