Advance the discipline(s) of Ethnic Studies with focus on sharing and diffusion of the knowledge and critical understanding of the histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, lived-experiences, and social struggles of the four historically racialized core ethnic groups of color: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latina/o Americans and others in these umbrella groups (e.g. Afro Americans, American Indians, Asian Pacific Islander American, Arab American,  Black Americans, South Americans, Central Americans, Chicana/os, Puerto Ricans and Caribbean Studies) based in the United States and determined by Ethnic Studies.

Promote research, study, teaching, learning, scholarly exchange, curriculum design, ethnic studies quality education, publication, and professional development of faculty and students in the discipline within the UC System.

Link scholarship, teaching, learning, and community and public engagement through advocacy, activism, policy development, ongoing community capacity-building and involvement with issues, institutions, organizations, and movements concerned with building strong, self-affirming and resilient communities, a just and equitable multicultural society, and a good and sustainable world with a particular support for genuine Ethnic Studies in K-20 in California and nationwide.

Establish academic and professional standards to define the parameters of the discipline and to guide teaching, research, assessments, self-study, concepts of ethnic studies education and pedagogy, and modes of community and public engagement.

Promote and sustain transparent communication between the CCC Ethnic Studies Faculty Council, CSU Council for Ethnic Studies, and ES UC Council about shared interests and ways to support, collaborate, manage, and assess course transfer articulation agreements for Ethnic Studies equivalency in the UC.

Monitor and support the status, viability, well-being, growth, and sustainability of Ethnic Studies units in the UC System.