As stewards of California’s public higher education continuum, the California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California systems share responsibility for ensuring equitable, coherent, and accessible pathways for all students. We affirm that advancing these core values requires ongoing assessment, transparency, and shared responsibility. We support the use of data, evaluation, and inclusive dialogue to identify disparities, monitor progress, and guide continuous improvement.
Governance and Faculty Purview
- Faculty hold primary authority in curriculum and academic standards in higher education.
- Meaningful and robust faculty participation in the governance of college and university systems is fundamental to a thriving academic community.
- We value meaningful collaboration among students, faculty, staff, and administrators in decision making.
- Intersegmental partnership is critical for seamless student experience in higher education.
Academic Freedom
- Academic freedom is the principle that protects the freedom of inquiry, teaching, and expression of college and university faculty and the freedom of students to learn.
- Faculty’s academic freedom is an essential component of an educational institution’s mission to pursue and disseminate knowledge without fear of reprisal or censorship.
- Faculty have a special responsibility to uphold and defend the principles of academic freedom for the advancement of knowledge, the promotion of critical thinking, and the preservation of intellectual diversity.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- California higher education must be open to all Californians.
- We support and promote increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff.
- A diverse student body is better served by a diverse faculty that can meet students’ needs and expose students to the cultural differences they will encounter during their college experiences and beyond.
Approved by ICAS on May 15, 2026.