Mission and Goals
The University of Hawaiʻi is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as echoed in its mission “to afford all qualified people of Hawaiʻi an equal opportunity for quality college and university education at both undergraduate and graduate levels” and commitment to “active[ly] support the participation of Native Hawaiians at the university and support vigorous programs of study and support for the Hawaiian language, history, and culture.” The University of Hawaiʻi has made great strides over the last 10 years to expand representation from historically underrepresented and underserved populations and reduce equity gaps in graduation rates (UH Strategic Directions HGI and 55 by ‘25 Campaign), resulting in increased recognition of the University of Hawaiʻi as a national leader in this area (UH News 2018 & 2020).
The Underrepresented Populations (URP) Committee, appointed by President Lassner, was charged with recommending a system-wide definition that when operationalized will enhance equity in assessment of our current policies and practices. More specifically, the Committee has been charged with the following goals as per the memo.
- What groups should be included in our definition of underrepresented and underserved populations?
- Are we currently collecting the right data on ethnicity/race?
