The following excerpt is from the UGA Undergraduate Admissions website.

Diversity at the University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is the flagship institution of higher education in the state of Georgia. It has a duty to prepare its students to function effectively, to be leaders and to be citizens of the state, region and nation. Part of this duty is to prepare students to work in a diverse environment. This duty includes an obligation to expose students to a robust exchange of ideas within a student body representing the greatest possible variety of backgrounds. Such exposure is an essential part of our obligation to prepare students to interact in an increasingly diverse workforce and society, both domestically and internationally. In order to provide a diverse learning environment, the University will adopt policies and practices to increase diversity among its entering students.

The Dimensions of Diversity

Diversity encompasses the breadth of knowledge, skills and experiences in a student body. A broadly diverse learning environment benefits the whole university, both because students of differing cultural, racial, ethnic and experiential backgrounds bring differing perspectives to the University community, and because alumni of such a learning environment gain greater legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry of Georgia, the nation and the world. As part of its duty to prepare students for the public and private sectors, the University of Georgia should ensure that the paths of leadership be open to all. The University of Georgia should seek to “assemb[le] a class that is both exceptionally qualified and broadly diverse”.¹ Since AY 2002, the University reviews many applicants on an individualized basis, giving consideration to factors other than quantitative test scores, grades and curriculum. That review should explicitly include contributions to diversity.

Elements of diversity that should be considered include, but are not limited to:

• Racial and ethnic diversity
• Geographic diversity
• Linguistic diversity
• Experiential diversity

As approved by University Council on March 18, 2004