RESOLVED that the Board of Regents reaffirms its statement of April 20, 1995:

"Recognizing the need for the Board of Regents to provide strong guidance for the University in matters of diversity, the Board hereby reaffirms its absolute commitment to the promotion of diversity in the University community. Specifically, the Board affirms that a supportive campus environment demands that all participants in the University be treated with absolute respect for their persons and their work. The realization of such a climate of respect must include an openness, on the part of the University, to new definitions of what constitutes valid and valuable research, pedagogy, and service. Additionally, the Board recognizes and affirms that a respect for diversity requires a sincere willingness on the part of the institution to allow all its diverse stakeholders to share in the decision-making process, and that no individual or group shall be marginalized or systematically excluded."

FURTHER RESOLVED that the following description of diversity is hereby approved:

"The University of Colorado is committed to building a community of students, faculty, and staff in which diversity is a fundamental value. People are different, and the differences among them are what we call diversity — a natural and enriching hallmark of life. A climate of healthy diversity is one in which people value a rich panoply of diverse ideas, perspectives and backgrounds, individual and group differences, and communicate openly."

FURTHER RESOLVED that the following document, "Statement of Principles for Developing Campus Diversity Plans," is hereby approved:

1. Campus plans will be consistent with the University of Colorado's aspiration to be a place where the quality of education is enhanced and enriched by a diverse campus community and from which all students benefit within a Total Learning Environment.
2. Campus plans must adhere to state and federal law and the Laws of the Regents.
3. Quotas, "set asides" and/or discriminatory practices must not be included in or inferred from campus diversity plans.ous, provided they are realistic and attainable — challenging CU to stretch its creativity and resources in achieving success.
4. Campus plans shall consider extensive input from the campus community, and require approval by the Board of Regents.
5. Campus plans should consider the availability of existing and reallocated resources to achieve objectives consistent with the Integrated Resources Management Strategy (IRMS) process.
6. Campus plans should build on successful programs existing on our campuses, as well as seek innovative new approaches.
7. Campus plans shall institute internal evaluations of success in meeting aspirations, utilizing appropriate monitoring systems.
8. Accountability rests at all levels of the University, including administrative units and academic departments, as well as individual faculty, staff, and students.
9. Campus plans shall be subject to periodic review and updates when the needs of the University so require.
10. In the design of campus diversity plans, race- and ethnicity-neutral approaches shall, where promising, be considered among other strategies.

The Board of Regents of the University of Colorado has demonstrated its support of the principles of affirmative action and its commitment to diversity for more than thirty years. The Board adopted Article 10 (Non-Discrimination) of the Laws of the Regents  in September, 1968 (amended February, 1985). On June 27, 1973, the Board adopted its policy on affirmative action, which was subsequently revised on November 29, 1979; October 22, 1982; and October 18, 1990.

In addition, in May, 1984, the Board strongly endorsed the recommendations of the Kramer-Noel Report, which was prepared by an ad hoc  committee formed in June, 1983, to "investigate and recommend ways to improve minority student enrollment and retention at the University of Colorado at Boulder." The report included recommendations targeted toward "a long-term programmatic plan and a program to improve current activities." The Board extended the application of the recommendations of the Kramer-Noel Report to all four campuses when it adopted the following resolution on August 14, 1984:

The Board endorsed the development of the systemwide University of Colorado Diversity Planning Document in April, 1993. This document provided guidelines as each campus prepared a written diversity plan that actively involved each academic and administrative unit and addressed diversity as a fundamental value rather than an isolated goal.

At the University of Colorado's Systemwide Diversity Conference on April 29, 1997, President Buechner reminded participants that diversity is an integral component of the Total Learning Environment initiative. He stated, "Diversity — cultural, ethnic, and intellectual — is a key ingredient in real world education." In response to the discussions that took place at the Diversity Conference and to recommendations from the chancellors, the President appointed the systemwide Strategic Diversity Planning Committee. At its meeting on June 25, 1998, the Board endorsed the report of the Committee.

There are a number of administrative policy statements that demonstrate the University's commitment to affirmative action/diversity, including: "Affirmative Action, Title IX, and Section 504 Programs"; "Guidelines for Annual Merit Adjustments for Faculty"; Implementation of Regent Actions Pertaining to Terms of Appointment and Review and Evaluation of Administrative Officers"; "Search Policies and Procedures for Select Officers"; and the University's policy on program discontinuance, which is currently under revision. In addition, Appendix B of the Laws of the Regents, "Roles and Responsibilities of Department Chairs," discusses the responsibility of department chairs to uphold the University's commitment to affirmative action/diversity.

External factors also have influenced CU's efforts to improve its strategies and processes for achieving both short- and long-term goals for the recruitment, retention and promotion of women and minority faculty, administrators, and staff, and the recruitment, retention, and graduation of women and minority students.

Colorado Commission on Higher Education. The most influential of external factors has been the statewide affirmative action policy of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE), which has been amended from time to time in order to encourage implementation of the most effective "best practices" by state-supported institutions of higher education and their governing boards as they strive to achieve a level of diversity that more closely approximates the general population of the state of Colorado. CCHE's current policy, adopted on June 4, 1998, is a continuous improvement model that:

1) includes multiple indicators of institutional progress; 2) provides more flexibility so that each institution, within its role and mission, will have more options for success; and 3) provides new appropriations to those institutions that implement a variety of precollegiate programs.

In addition, the University of Colorado shares information with institutions of higher education in other states and with national organizations, such as Association of American Universities (AAU), National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC), American Council on Education (ACE), Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE), etc.

All of these internal and external influences, as well as a critical examination of CU's successes and disappointments in its ongoing efforts to create an educational community that is enriched by the full participation of all individuals, informed and guided discussions among President John Buechner, Vice President David Groth, the Chancellors of the four campuses, and University Counsel during the development of the proposed definition of diversity and the "Statement of Principles for Developing Campus Diversity Plans."

The Board adopted Article 10 (Non-Discrimination) of the Laws of the Regents in September, 1968 (amended in February, 1985).

On June 27, 1973, the Board adopted its policy on affirmative action, which was subsequently revised on November 29, 1979; October 22, 1982; and October 18, 1990.

On April 20, 1995, the Board reaffirmed its "absolute commitment to the promotion of diversity in the University community."