Mission and Values

Mission: Advancing Health Worldwide

UC San Francisco is the leading university dedicated to advancing health worldwide through preeminent biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Within our overarching advancing health worldwide mission, UCSF is devoted at every level to serving the public.

UCSF’s commitment to public service dates to the founding of its predecessor institution, Toland Medical College, in 1864. Born out of the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions of Gold Rush-era San Francisco, Toland Medical College trained doctors to elevate the standards of public health in the burgeoning city.

By 1873, the University of California acquired the college and forged a partnership with San Francisco General Hospital that continues to this day and serves as a model for delivering leading-edge care at a public safety-net hospital.

Today UCSF’s public mission goes beyond San Francisco and delivers a substantial impact on a national and global level by innovating health care approaches for the world’s most vulnerable populations, training the next generation of doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and scientists; supporting elementary and high school education; and translating scientific discoveries into better health for everyone.

Values

In his 2016 State of the University Address, Chancellor Sam Hawgood announced that UCSF is embracing a common set of values to set a clear direction for all members of the UCSF community as we work together to fulfill our mission. This set of overarching values aligns with UCSF’s Principles of Community and Code of Ethics.

PRIDE values are:

Professionalism: To be competent, accountable, reliable and responsible, interacting positively and collaboratively with all colleagues, students, patients, visitors and business partners.

Respect: To treat all others as you wish to be treated, being courteous, kind and acting with utmost consideration for others.

Integrity: To be honest, trustworthy and ethical, always doing the right thing, without compromising the truth, and being fair and sincere.

Diversity: To appreciate and celebrate differences in others, creating an environment of equity and inclusion with opportunities for everyone to reach their potential.

Excellence: To be dedicated, motivated, innovative and confident, giving your best every day, encouraging and supporting others to excel in everything they do.