Diversity Statement

As members of the diverse world community of Seventh-day Adventists, we affirm our commitment to diversity on the campus of Pacific Union College. We understand diversity to be a prerequisite for Christian Liberal Arts education at PUC, which as noted in our General Catalog "frees students from the confines of personal experience" and "encourages entering with understanding into the experience of others." A PUC education requires "tolerance of differing views, the respect those views deserve, and vigorous engagement with them" (p. 11).

Our historic mission, understood in light of contemporary concerns, embraces this vision of diversity:

Pacific Union College is a Seventh-day Adventist learning community offering an excellent Christ-centered education that prepares its students for productive lives of useful human service and uncompromising personal integrity.

Christ-centered learning includes the Golden Rule, which challenges us to respect all persons; Productive service in a global society requires an understanding of cultures and groups other than our own; Integrity calls us to lives of mutual respect for all human beings.

Given these commitments, we affirm the following goals:

  • To nurture a campus environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued;
  • To attract students, faculty, and staff that represent the ethnic diversity of our primary constituency;
  • To provide a curriculum that engages students in thoughtful reflection on issues and perspectives from a diverse range of cultures;
  • To support a campus climate of genuine appreciation, rather than mere tolerance, for community members representing the full range of human diversity;
  • To actively invite and prepare students who come to PUC from relatively homogenous backgrounds to embrace opportunities for diverse learning;
  • To welcome students of other faith traditions into our community and conversation, valuing their perspectives while respectfully sharing our own.

As we affirm these commitments, values, and goals, we recognize that significant progress will require dealing with a variety of internal and external challenges. To meaningfully integrate diversity into our curricular and extracurricular community life, we will need to challenge previous habits and assumptions. Thus we also commit ourselves to regular and systematic assessment of our progress toward these goals, as reflected in annual progress reports to the Board of Trustees.

We understand diversity to include those aspects identified in the WASC Statement on Diversity (including: Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender, age, religious belief, sexual orientation, and disability). We expect all members of our community to respect our religious and moral values as embodied in student, staff and faculty handbooks, and we are committed to ensuring that all members feel safe, respected and valued.