What is Inclusive Excellence?
Inclusive Excellence = Organizational Excellence
Inclusive Excellence is a framework with 5 dimensions that help guide our decision-making at the university. We continue to foster a culture of innovation, inclusion, public service and collaboration.
1. Access + Success
Internal processes such as recruitment, admissions, tenure, career advancement and graduation. Guiding questions include: How do we recruit and retain talented faculty, staff and students? How do we develop faculty and staff for students with different learning styles? How do we develop students for a global economy?
2. Climate + Intergroup Relations
Developing living, learning and working environments where individuals feel welcomed, included, respected and supported. Guiding questions include: How are we perceived? How do we develop affirming environments where all individuals feel a sense of belonging? How do we measure it?
3. Education + Scholarship
The ways in which curricula, pedagogy, research, scholarship, and professional and student development contribute to innovation, community engagement, service, and advocacy. Guiding questions include: How do we foster innovation and creativity? Who participates in research? How do we disseminate knowledge?
4. Infrastructure + Investment
Aligns resources, organizational structures, policies, practices, and performance measures to inform and foster an intentionally inclusive and innovative organization. Guiding questions include: How are we organized? What do we invest in? How do we do business? How do we hold ourselves accountable?
5. Community + Partnership
Refers to how UCF engages collaboratively and reciprocally with our local communities and across the state. Guiding questions include: What impact do we have in the community and on the workforce? How do we engage with industry partners? How do our partnerships contribute to our success and vice versa?
At UCF, inclusion is essential to our excellence, and our focus remains on helping all of our students realize their full potential.”
Social Mobility
UCF is ranked as one of the top public universities for social mobility, graduate indebtedness, and graduation and retention by U.S. News & World Report.
Student Success
UCF is one of just 10 institutions nationwide to earn the Seal of Excelencia this year, and one of just 24 institutions in total that have earned the certification.
Diverse & Inclusive
49.1% of UCF’s students are a member of a traditionally underrepresented group, more than 20% are first-generation college students, and UCF is ranked an LGBTQ+ Friendly school.
Additional Awards and Recognitions
For the seventh time, UCF was named among the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award recipients by Insight Into Diversity magazine, which recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. UCF is also a Hispanic Serving Institution, signifying by the U.S. Department of Education that the more than one quarter of the student body identifies as Hispanic/Latina/o/x.
Diversity Includes All of Us—All the Time
UCF aspires to be a destination of choice for the most talented people, a best place to learn and work, and a partner of choice in our community. We continue to foster a culture of innovation, inclusion, public service, and collaboration and will be a model for civil discourse, consistent with the Florida Board of Governors’ Statement of Free Expression.
Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives
A Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) is a federal designation by the U.S. Department of Education that acknowledges colleges and universities with 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment.
ACE Women’s Network
The ACE (American Council on Education) Women’s Network is a national system of networks within each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia with the goal of advancing and supporting women in higher education.
Diversity in Contracts
Enhancing the economic vitality of our region is our shared responsibility. We are committed to providing opportunities for small, minority-owned, woman-owned, or service-disabled veteran-owned business enterprises.
Faculty Inclusive Excellence
We are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive working environment to recruit, cultivate and retain exceptional diverse faculty, students and staff.
Student Multicultural Groups and Support
We welcome and celebrate students from all backgrounds by providing a variety of multicultural resources, clubs, and organizations for student involvement.
Multicultural and Diversity Education
Building inclusion champions is what we do. We offer diversity training and workshops that cover inclusion topics across multiple disciplines.
uKnighted in Athletics
Our athletics program believes in the power of sports bringing people together and empowering student athletes to elevate their voices.
Cultural and Identity Based Affinity Groups
Dr. Andrea I. Guzman
VP for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We need room to approach ‘diversity’ from a broad spectrum. Expanding our views from race, ethnicity and gender, to include sexual orientation; varied abilities or disabilities; veterans and military families; a range of socio-economic statuses; interfaith, spirituality and secular beliefs; and different political affiliations or ideologies – to name a few – is how we go from a ‘diverse’ institution, to an institution that is committed to inclusive excellence.”
UCF Offices and Resources
Invest in a better future for all
Eliminating achievement gaps and reducing barriers for students of all backgrounds and incomes has been a decade-long focus for UCF. As a result, the university has made significant strides in reducing achievement gaps among student populations, dramatically outperforming the national average in key areas.
Reporting & Resources
We’re committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. If you experience or witness something on campus that doesn’t seem right, we want to know about it.
Find Reporting ResourcesInclusive Excellence News
