Our employment decisions are made without consideration of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability, and we fully abide by and embrace the Supreme Court's June 23, 2003, decision upholding affirmative action in university admissions.

Our responsibility includes increasing the participation of historically underutilized businesses - minority- and women-owned vendors - in all aspects of university purchasing.

We are proud of the many cultures and ethnicities that make up our university community, and we are committed to creating a cordial environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors on campus.

By fostering diversity and equal opportunity, we enrich UT Southwestern as an educational and medical institution and help fulfill our duty to serve the health-care needs of the diverse population of our community.

As president of UT Southwestern, I pledge our commitment to these principles, and I urge all members of the medical center community to embrace and enhance our collective efforts to achieve these goals.