To further its educational objectives, the university fosters excellence in instruction. It also encourages pursuits to stimulate among its students, alumni, staff, and faculty a lifelong enthusiasm for intellectual activity, including basic research, artistic creation, the integration of knowledge, and the application of scholarship to practical problems. The Hayward campus serves the higher education needs of the people of California, especially those in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Upper division and graduate instruction is also offered at the university's Concord campus. Students at Cal State Hayward increasingly reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of California and the Bay Area.
Many students enroll part-time and most are employed.
Many transfer from other institutions or resume their education after lengthy interruptions. The university also serves international students, who add to the heterogeneity of the Hayward campus' growing number of resident students, and contribute to education for the global society. We welcome the great variety of students on our campuses both as a strength and an opportunity. The university is dedicated to providing an equitable education within a nurturing environment for all its students. Flexible scheduling, advising, and support programs help fulfill this objective.