POLICY AFFIRMING ENGAGEMENT IN THE PRESCHOOL THROUGH POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION SYSTEM, AS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA MISSION AS A LAND GRANT INSTITUTION
Approved January 21, 2005

As a land grant institution with a mission of teaching, research and public service, the University of California is committed to excellence and equity in education for all of California's students to secure the social well-being and economic prosperity of the individual and the State. The University affirms that a fundamental part of its mission is to engage in efforts to promote the academic achievement and success of all students, including students who, because they are educationally disadvantaged and underrepresented, therefore need additional assistance. Toward these ends, the University seeks to work collaboratively with other key constituencies to enhance the educational capacity of California's schools, to help close opportunity gaps that separate groups of students, and enhance access to those who have been underserved by the University. To meet these public needs, it is essential that the University work in collaboration with public and private sector organizations that share these responsibilities; in particular, California schools, community colleges, universities, community organizations and students' families.

Given the importance of academic preparation and educational partnerships to the University and the benefits that accrue to the State and the nation from UC's collaboration in these efforts, The Regents of the University of California request that the President, in collaboration with the Governor, the Legislature, the other segments of California public education, and business and community leaders, develop and implement a plan for meaningful, consistent, and long-term funding of the UC academic preparation and educational partnerships infrastructure and communicate the importance of these collaborative efforts to the Governor and the Legislature.

In reaffirming the institution's commitment to Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships, the Regents request that the President submit an annual report to the Board that is comprehensive in describing the scope and scale of efforts and assesses the contribution of the University's administration of, and collaboration in, academic preparation and educational partnership activities in reducing educational inequities. This annual report shall take into consideration existing research on preschool-postsecondary educational inequities as guiding principles for program design and implementation, desired outcomes, and rigorous evaluation. In order to continually focus institutional efforts on those areas in which the University might have the most impact, programs demonstrating best practices and use of University resources will guide long-term academic preparation and educational partnership program planning. Such efforts will allow for the charting of future directions for UC's collaboration in academic preparation and educational partnership efforts as well as innovative and new approaches to address preschool-postsecondary educational inequities.