UC DAVIS: OFFICE OF THE PROVOST
June 15, 2005
Provost's Update, June 2005
Dear Folks:
As the end of the spring term approaches and many in our community plan summer travel for research, learning, and vacation, I want to update you on progress and challenges in meeting the goals of our campus strategic plan.
FRAMEWORK FOR SUCCESS (Human, Physical, and Financial Resources)
Governor's May Budget Revision: For UC, the May Revision (http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/budget/downloads/Budget_May_Revise_2005-06.pdf) includes little change from the January proposed budget and continues to support the compact, including a modest augmentation of the University's faculty and staff compensation programs. A positive addition is $750,000 in support of the Math and Science Initiative for resource centers on UC campuses. Challenges include: (a) significant increases in professional school fees - a major concern for our campus, as well as others (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/factsheets/profees.pdf) and (b) failure to restore funding for academic preparation programs; however, the Legislature has proposed adding funds in support of this important program. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8310) Current budget information continues to be provided at (http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/budget/).
Leadership Meetings: During the winter and spring quarters, I hosted a series of meetings with department chairs and program directors. I'll report more fully on their input later but several points should be mentioned now. With remarkable consistency, the UC Davis way of conducting multidisciplinary scholarship in a collegial manner is viewed as a major positive in recruiting and retaining the best faculty, staff and students. Therefore, we continually need to foster a campus environment in which this approach thrives. Two challenges consistently mentioned include: (a) time demands on faculty and staff - underlining the need to streamline processes and procedures and (b) high cost of housing in Davis, emphasizing the need for West Village and efforts to provide "one-stop shopping" for guidance about the University and community resources available to assist in finding an affordable home in the region.
Renovations Planning: The Office of Administration and the Office of Resource Management and Planning will soon formalize an improved process for facilities renovations. The goal is to ensure coordination of campuswide renovation needs with campus space planning efforts, thereby accomplishing more timely initiation and completion of critical projects and a better return on the campus's significant ongoing investment in facility upgrades.
Faculty Position Allocation Process: Despite a moderation in our enrollment growth rate, the campus has new faculty positions to allocate to schools and colleges. A process is currently underway for a two-year allocation of positions. In part one, 62.5 FTE positions were allocated to schools/colleges based on a campuswide formula (http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/budget/downloads/fte_allocation_process.pdf?id=8095). An additional 37.5 FTE positions will be allocated in response to proposals. Deans, in consultation with Faculty Senate Executive Committees, submitted proposals two weeks ago which are now under review by the Senate Committee on Academic Planning and Budget Review and others to provide advice in determining how best to allocate these positions.
Faculty Recruitment: New Procedures Result in More Female Hires: An improved faculty recruitment process has significantly increased the percentage of women hired into faculty positions at UC Davis. As you may recall, this percentage fell to very low levels in the late 1990s (16 to 17 percent). In response, the Chancellor and Provost/EVC formed a Task Force for Faculty Recruitment. The campus's implementation of recommendations from this Task Force has led to greater diversity in its faculty applicant pools. As a result, the percentage of women hired into tenure-track positions has significantly increased at UC Davis (40.4 percent in 2000-01, 40.5 percent in 2001-02, 42.2 percent in 2002-03, and 36.2 percent in 2003-04). We need to always keep in mind that diversity and excellence are inseparable and we must constantly work to build both a great and diverse UC Davis.
Capital Planning: University Tightens Debt Policy: Recently, the UC Office of the President has limited debt financing for capital projects, posing a significant challenge to building the physical infrastructure needed for our campus, as well as others. The campus must now consider alternative funding sources, construction delays, or scope reductions for several major projects in its 10-year capital plan. Parking and Student Housing projects are the most challenged. However, this limitation will also affect some academic buildings (for example, Graduate School of Management, Neurosciences) and some student services buildings (for example, Coffee House renovations). Fortunately, projects funded by the State Budget Act are not affected by this limit on debt. Therefore, many campus projects will proceed as planned. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8288)
LEARNING
Freshman Seminars: Professor Diane Ullman's course on Scientific Illustrations in Public Murals (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8231) is one example of the 157 freshman seminars offered by UC Davis this year. Many thanks to the faculty who have created these unique classroom opportunities that enhance the learning process for our freshmen.
Undergraduate Programs: Time to Degree, Process Improvements: The joint Academic Senate/Administrative Task Force on Time-to-Degree, co-Chaired by Matt Farrens, Chair of the Undergraduate Council, and Interim Vice Provost Fred Wood, continued its efforts in assisting and encouraging undergraduates to graduate in a timely manner. Their work led to changes in the Planned Educational Leave Program and a pilot program to increase the PASS 1 unit limitation. A subgroup of the Task Force was actively involved in the revision of the minimum progress regulation. Next year the Task Force will focus on additional steps to improve four-year graduation rates for undergraduates. Additional joint efforts by the Senate and the administration include a recent proposal to streamline the review process for program approval and on-going efforts, led by Academic Senate Chair Dan Simmons, to streamline and enhance the undergraduate program review process.
DISCOVERY
Research at UC Davis: Our research activity continues to grow with support being approximately 10% higher than at this time last year. Assuming that this growth continues, total awards for FY 05 could reach $450 million. A couple of recent highlights include an exciting $4.5 million award from the California Department of Social Services (P.I. Gail Goodman, Psychology) and the $6.5 million Valley Aerosol Health Effects Research Center (P.I. Tony Wexler, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering). In view of the opportunities for stem cell research in California, the Office of Research has prepared a website on stem cells (http://research.ucdavis.edu/home.cfm?id=SCR,9).
Research Support: The Interdisciplinary Research Support unit of the Office of Research (http://research.ucdavis.edu/home.cfm?id=OVC,4,1096) in its first year of operation assisted campus investigators in the preparation of grant proposals totaling $128.8 million for large-scale, interdisciplinary research programs, including the recently funded Valley Aerosol Health Effects Research Center. Headed by Richard Meisinger, this unit provides support services available to faculty working on grants and contracts that involve multiple schools, colleges, divisions, or institutions to support new research units, programs, or centers at UC Davis funded by major extramural research sponsors.
ENGAGEMENT
Comprehensive Campaign: The campus is moving forward with preparations for its first comprehensive fundraising campaign. In preparing to launch the campaign in earnest, we are gathering advice from campus supporters statewide and at home to focus fundraising messages to potential major donors. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8233)
It is important to note that alumni support is critical to our success! In this early, "quiet" phase of the campaign, efforts must be aimed at securing major gifts to "seed" the campaign. However, we are also working hard to connect with our alumni, whose continued support and affiliation is invaluable to the campus, e.g., our Alumni College program offering alumni an opportunity to return to the campus and recapture the thrill of learning in a university environment. (http://www.alumni.ucdavis.edu/college/)
Sharing information about UC Davis: The News Service Multimedia Page (http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/multimedia/default.lasso) presents videos on several current or recent events that emphasize the connectedness of our campus with its region, the nation, and the world, e.g., the recent address at UC Davis by Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi.
RECOGNITION OF IMPRESSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Three UC Davis faculty - Alan Hastings (Environmental Science and Policy), Stephen Kowalczykowski (Microbiology; Director, Center for Genetics and Development), and Michael Turelli (Evolution and Ecology) - are among 24 affiliated with the University of California to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences this year. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8284)
Stephen Kowalczykowski was also named 2005 Distinguished Research Lecturer by the Davis Division of the Academic Senate, the highest honor that the Davis Division accords its members. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8274)
Maureen Stanton, Professor of Evolution and Ecology, received the 2005 Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement. The $30,000 prize, funded by the UC Davis Foundation and established in 1988, is believed to be the largest prize of its kind in the nation. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8191)
Patricia Gandara (Education), Randi Hagerman (Medicine; Director, M.I.N.D. Institute), Jeff Mount (Geology; Director, Center for Integrated Watershed Sciences and Management), and John Whitaker (Food Science and Technology) were honored by the Davis Division of the Academic Senate with distinguished public service awards. The Academic Senate bestows these awards annually to recognize significant contributions to the world, nation, state and community. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8266)
Mari Golub (Adjunct Professor, Internal Medicine) received the Academic Federation Award for Excellence in Research); John Stenzel (Lecturer in English) and Ellen Lange (Lecturer in Linguistics) are this year’s recipients of the Academic Federation Awards for Excellence in Teaching. (http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=8320)
Our campus annually honors employees who have made outstanding contributions to diversity during their careers at UC Davis. This year's honorees were Joy Fergoda, Gary Perkins, Wilhelmina Cottman, Irene Day, Paula Driver Shimada, Daniel Steinhart, Micki Eagle, and David Van Leer. Student Housing's Residential Education Office was recognized for a special departmental effort.
Best regards,
Virginia S. Hinshaw
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8558
530/752-4964; Fax 530/752-2400
vshinshaw@ucdavis.edu