University of Dayton Athletics

• To educate the total person by integrating the primary academic purposes with educational possibilities and opportunities for young people beyond the classroom
• To teach the value of community and family through collaboration and teamwork
• To instill the fundamentals of sportsmanship, adhering to the values of respect, fairness, civility, honesty, and responsibility
• To teach the tools of achievement, including self-discipline, personal responsibility and the setting of high standards
• To develop the individual talents of our student-athletes within the context of shared team goals
• To enhance diversity and minority opportunity at the University of Dayton
• To advance the University of Dayton locally, regionally and nationally through the more highly visible sports, particularly the men's basketball program

The concept of diversity refers to human differences, both individual differences and differences among socially constructed groups. In the context of American higher education, definitions of human diversity are historically fluid and culturally variable. Such differences may include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic class, physical abilities or qualities, sexual orientation/gender identity, age, religious faith, national origin, marital or parental status, educational background, political beliefs, and styles of learning. 

As a Catholic and Marianist university, the University of Dayton is committed to embracing diversity as a manifestation of God’s creation, to honoring the dignity that all persons share, and to promoting the respect to which all are entitled. In this sense, the scope of diversity extends beyond a passive understanding of historically underrepresented groups. It is much more inclusive and intentional, capturing a broad spectrum of similarities and differences that each individual possesses. Thus, the University’s mission entails a special responsibility to educate for service, social justice, and peace-making, with particular emphasis on those living in poverty and other marginalized groups.

As a community, we recognize the diversity of human perspectives and gifts as indispensable resources for academic excellence in research and artistic creativity and for the education of distinctive graduates prepared for lifelong learning, leadership, and service. As a national leader in Catholic higher education, the University must educate its students for responsible citizenship and informed engagement in the multicultural and globally situated societies, institutions, and communities of the 21st century. 

We acknowledge that building and maintaining institutional capacity for inclusive academic excellence is a strategic imperative rooted in our core mission and values. Widening the circle of the University of Dayton community to invite, affirm, reflect upon, and educate for constructive collaboration across human difference is an expression of the University’s unwavering dedication to Catholic and Marianist traditions of education, intellectual life, and community building. 

We believe that the search for the ultimate unity of truth is strengthened and deepened by the multiplicity of persons and perspectives in the University of Dayton community. Therefore, the University aims to foster a diverse faculty, student body, and staff and to create a safe, respectful, and nurturing campus climate.  In such a climate, all members of the University community are held accountable for treating one another respectfully, justly, and equitably, and all are offered opportunities for educational and professional development. In addition, the University’s curriculum and co-curricular programming are designed to advance students’ competencies for intellectually informed and critically reflective dialogue and collaboration with others in the midst of difference.