Diversity is a "legitimate and compelling interest" for public universities in America today and is "inextricably intertwined" with the quality of an academic institution, particularly in California, UC President Robert Dynes told a conference of college educators recently.

Speaking Oct. 23 in Sacramento, Dynes said UC's history has been one of educating the state's very best students and ensuring they come from all walks of life. That commitment will continue under his administration, he said.

"Diversity and quality, particularly in a state like California, are inextricably intertwined," said Dynes, who took office Oct. 2. "Put simply, diversity adds to the quality of an academic institution. On the contrary, a monolithic student body or faculty results in a lower-quality education. High quality and broad access are our mandate. I don't know that a public university can truly call itself 'excellent' or 'high-quality' if it is not reaching all segments of the society around it -- through its teaching, through its research, and through its public service activities."

The conference, "Expanding Opportunity in Higher Education," was sponsored by UC and the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. It brought together leading thinkers on college access issues from around the country.

Dynes said that, given the state budget difficulties and Proposition 209's restrictions on the consideration of race in admissions and financial aid, UC needs to think creatively and work with its partners in public education to improve the preparation of K-12 students and maintain college access for Californians.

"UC, CSU, the community colleges and the independent colleges and universities need to work together to ensure there are multiple, effective pathways to a bachelor's degree in California," the former UC San Diego chancellor told the audience. "That doesn't mean any segment shirking its responsibilities, but all working collaboratively in the best interests of the students."

Dynes suggested that the educational segments also work together to preserve and enhance outreach programs to K-12 schools, perhaps through a regionally based approach. He said he would work with the California Education Roundtable, which includes leaders from the K-12 and higher education systems, to "do a better job of linking ourselves together."

Dynes also said he remains committed to recent UC admissions reforms, including Eligibility in the Local Context (the "4 Percent Plan"), dual admissions (a new path to UC eligibility through the community colleges), and comprehensive review (in which campuses select applicants from the UC eligibility pool based on a full review of academic and personal achievements).

Addressing recent newspaper stories comparing the SAT scores of some admitted and denied students to UC campuses, Dynes said the university needs to be accountable to the public and address the concerns of the public, but also needs to do a better job of communicating how the admissions process really works.

"We need to be receptive to criticism, we need to look seriously at ourselves and when we identify problems in our processes, we need to fix them," Dynes said. "But we also need to do a better job of helping people understand how these decisions get made in the first place.

"And if we do that -- if we help people understand the process better -- some of this furor that has come from comparing students' SAT scores may die down. And rightfully so: merit and promise come from much more than an SAT score. Creativity, imagination, motivation, and just plain work ethic have to account for something."

Dynes added: "We also need to build understanding in California that UC is not a hierarchy -- it's not a tiered system with a lone flagship and several lesser campuses. It is a true system of distinguished universities.... In that kind of system, there is no bright line in admissions -- we don't just rank students from the top and allocate them out to the campuses. Indeed, every campus draws students from the full range of the eligibility pool, looking at the variety of qualifications they present."

The full text of his speech is available at:

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/president/speeches/102303diversity.pdf.