UC Davis Initiatives
UC Davis has ambitious goals that have long defined our university and continue to drive us today.
The 2020 Initiative
Our goal in this 2020 Initiative is to increase financial stability by reducing our reliance on the state for funding. UC Davis is doing this by adding 5,000 new undergraduates — Californian, national and international students — between 2011 and 2020. This initiative has allowed us to provide more international experiences for our campus community. At the same time, we’re creating a more diverse educational climate as we educate future global leaders.
Aggie Square
Aggie Square is an innovation hub that will be built on the campus of UC Davis Health in Sacramento. Specific plans are still being developed, but Aggie Square could include incubator or accelerator space, collaborative space for research, academic programs, housing, retail, art and music venues, and more. Representatives from UC Davis, the city of Sacramento, surrounding neighborhoods in the Stockton-Broadway corridor and industry groups are all involved in the planning process.
Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion
Our Strategic Plan for Diversity and Inclusion will reflect the campus’ continuing commitment to creating an environment in which all members of the campus community are welcomed, respected and valued. Through conversations and engagement with faculty, staff, students and alumni, the Diversity and Inclusion Planning Committee is developing goals and strategies for moving the university toward its goal of inclusive excellence.
Long Range Development Plan
This 2017-2027 Long Range Development Plan update started in fall 2015 to help us build a strategy for our physical future. Importantly, it will address the population projections for our community and explore compact growth patterns as we meet our 2020 Initiative goals. The plan will support UC Davis’ academic mission, enrich community life, and foster a more sustainable future.
Fundraising for UC Davis’ future
UC Davis’ endowment reached $1 billion in June 2015 thanks to our donors and the UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees. This private support provides scholarships and fellowships for students, resources for faculty and staff, and propels our land-grant university mission to make the world a better place. For our next multiyear fundraising campaign, we are asking members of the UC Davis community to share with us their “Big Ideas” that are forward thinking and will help UC Davis continue to be a leader in the 21st century and beyond.
Hispanic-Serving Institution by 2018-2019
Reflecting California’s changing demographics, UC Davis is expecting to earn this U.S. Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution designation by 2018-2019, when 25 percent of our undergraduates will be of Hispanic origin. The designation will make the university eligible for millions of dollars in federal funding for diversity and related programs. We are reaching out to Hispanics at community colleges in our region and throughout the state to offer them an excellent education — and university experience — at UC Davis. We are also making it easier for qualified students to transition from community college to UC Davis through Transfer Admissions Guarantee recruitments.
Initiative to improve graduation rates
UC Davis has undertaken an ambitious effort to raise our four- and six-year graduation rates to 75 percent and 96 percent, respectively. We have improved academic planning and increased access to required classes in the lower division. In addition, we are enforcing prerequisites and curriculum mapping. Students have new lecture halls, classrooms and labs to learn in, and new technologies are improving our teaching and learning. Academic advising has been improved to help students identify majors that best align with their career and life goals. And we’re helping them stay on track to graduate.
Training physicians to advance Latino Health
The UC Davis School of Medicine received a Behavioral Health Center of Excellence Grant to prepare students to be doctors who will serve the Hispanic population. The plan is to develop a 10-year physician pipeline initiative to enhance Latino health in our region, launched with a grant from the Permanente Medical Group.