California Institute of Technology

On June 29, 2023, Caltech's Office of the President issued a response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which reads in part as follows: "The court's decision overturns decades of precedent, which held that universities may consider race, among many other factors, in admissions processes. However, the Court also states that within the context of reviewing an individual's experiences, 'nothing in [the decision] should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant's discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it, through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise'...We always will abide with the law of the land. Consonant with legal guidelines, and as we evaluate the scope of this ruling, we will continue to broaden access to and expand educational opportunities within Caltech for talented scientists, engineers, and scholars from all backgrounds."

The university has an ally organization of Caltech students, staff, and faculty allies called Caltech for Black Lives (C4BL), which is dedicated to supporting the work of Black Scientists & Engineers of Caltech (BSEC). C4BL works to "amplify and provide labor" for the goals and demands set forth in a petition called "Anti-Racism: What Can Caltech Do?". Additionally, C4BL supports BSEC’s call to "rename all buildings, spaces, and programs that celebrate eugenicists and racists."

Caltech offers and participates in a host of scholarships, fellowships & awards for students. Opportunities include the Research University Alliance (designed to increase diversity in academic fields with the greatest national underrepresentation of minorities), WAVE Fellows (a Caltech program that aims to foster diversity by increasing the participation of underrepresented students in science and engineering Ph.D. programs), and the GPS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award (given in recognition of "exceptional commitment" to the advancement of DEI in the GPS division).

The school has an Inclusive Caltech Core Project where Caltech is awarded a $20,000 grant from the Association of American Universities.

Caltech has a diversity and inclusion library guide. EDBI (Equity, Diversity, Belonging, and Inclusion) books linked include "Algorithms of Oppression" and "Woke Gaming: Digital Challenges to Oppression and Social Injustice."

Caltech has a Center for Inclusion and Diversity with a mission to "provide education, advocacy and allyship to foster an inclusive campus community."

Caltech has an "Affinity Groups, Mentorship & Support" page for minority groups, which lists various student organizations on campus.

Caltech has Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors. The training consists of taking a one hour workshop called "Decoding Diversity", undergo "Safezone Trainings", share with the Caltech Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) what diversity means to you, and engage in an advocacy project of your choice.

Since 2021, the school does annual campus climate surveys which focus on DEI.

On April 19, 2023, the school wrote an article about “Reintroducing the Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity. The school stated that the goal is that CCID will “provide more cultural exchange opportunities and to work collaboratively on IDEA initiatives across campus” and “establish an annual IDEA symposium or conference at Caltech.”

In January of 2024, the Caltech Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Department celebrated the Day of Inclusion, an event which includes lectures and panels.

Caltech’s Center for Inclusion and Diversity hosts an annual Celebration of Excellence, which is an awards ceremony honoring “members of the Caltech community who exemplify leadership in advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA).”

The school has a role for the Assistant Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Assessment.

The Caltech president seeks to change the composition of the President's Diversity Council in order to "refocus its efforts specifically on the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, students, and postdoctoral scholars at Caltech." The President's Diversity Council was established in 2007 and is an advisory faculty committee that "[supports], [advises], and [provides] recommendations for campuswide efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility."

Caltech has a Committee on Naming and Recognition (CNR), which was established to advise on the renaming of campus assets and honors that "previously memorialized individuals affiliated with the eugenics movement." Caltech Hall, Grant D. Venerable House, Lee F. Browne Dining Hall are three new building names; the Judge Shirley Hufstedler Professorship and Edward B. Lewis Professorships of Biology are two endowments renamed.

Caltech states that it is “grounded in a belief in the profound importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in realizing our goal of expanding human knowledge and benefiting society through research integrated with education."