To further its educational objectives, the University expects excellence in instruction. It also encourages pursuits designed to foster and maintain 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 offered also at the University's campus in Concord. Students at California State University, 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 educations after lengthy interruptions. The University also serves international students who add to the heterogeneity of the Hayward campus's growing number of resident students and contribute to education for the global society. We welcome the great variety of students on our campuses as both a challenge and a strength. 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.