The Department has a strong commitment to supporting diversity through the recognition of the personal and environmental strengths of individuals independent of differences in age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status. Following the guidelines of APA, faculty makes systematic, coherent, and long-term efforts to attract and retain students and faculty from differing ethnic, racial, and personal backgrounds. Consistent with such efforts, the  faculty act to ensure a supportive and encouraging learning environment appropriate for the training of diverse individuals and the provision of training opportunities for a broad spectrum of individuals. Further, the faculty avoid any actions that would restrict access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in graduate training. The Department has and implements a thoughtful and coherent plan to provide students with relevant knowledge and experiences about the role of cultural and individual diversity in psychological phenomena as they relate to the science and practice of professional psychology.