Strategy:  Recruit, develop and retain a distinguished and diverse faculty and staff to increase national and international distinction and leadership in learning, discovery, and engagement.

Point People: Barbara Horwitz, Stan Nosek, and Phyllis Wise

Narrative Summary of First Year Implementation Efforts -- Faculty:

Recruiting, developing, and retaining outstanding faculty continues to be a high priority for the campus and relies on efforts of existing faculty, department chairs, deans, and other administrators. As described below, we have continued, refined, and expanded programs intended to facilitate this strategy. Additionally, we have established historical/baseline data on several indicators of achievement. These include: endowed chairs and professorships; the diversity of ladder faculty hires by academic unit with respect to gender and faculty of color (annual data since 1993); the diversity of ladder faculty having an off-scale component of their salary (annual data since academic year 1998), and the number of faculty that have achieved the rank of Professor, Above Scale (Distinguished Professor)

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with the Strategy – Faculty:

• Establishment/maintenance of information regarding new hires to assess the effectiveness of hiring strategies.
• Meetings of the Vice Provost—Academic Personnel and Deans with chairs of search committees to discuss Best Practices for ensuring a diverse applicant pool.
• Utilization of hiring history as a tool in reviewing requests from departments to upgrade recruitments from junior to open or to senior searches. Such upgrades are approved only under unusual circumstances.
• Full implementation of work-life balance provisions for child bearing/adoption for ladder faculty (http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/worklife.cfm).
• Utilization of the Partner Opportunities Program (http://popprogram.ucdavis.edu/), the Mortgage Origination Program (http://homeloans.ucdavis.edu/), and off-scales where necessary for competitiveness.
• Held monthly brown bag lunches with new and continuing department chairs to discuss issues related to academic leadership as well as the “nuts and bolts” of running a department.
• Held monthly brown bag lunches with new faculty to discuss issues related to academic success (e.g., personnel policies, resources related to research, developing an effective teaching program).
• Developed and implemented a Career Equity Process for Senate faculty (http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/career%20equity%20review%20process.doc) and a FAQ for this process (http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/cer_faqs_071504.doc).
• Continued development and expansion of a leadership training program to include faculty as well as department Chairs (http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/td_chair_leadership.cfm).
• Sponsored a Grant Proposal Writing Workshop for faculty in the Humanities and Social Sciences (http://academicpersonnel.ucdavis.edu/td_fac_grantwksp.cfm).
• Reduced the use of ad hoc committees for personnel actions where the Academic Senate Committee on Academic Personnel (CAP) and the Joint Academic Federation/Academic Senate Personnel Committee felt that they had the expertise to evaluate the record and make the recommendation.
• Drafted a Handbook for Department/Program Chairs.
• Formulated a plan (in conjunction with IT and Senate faculty) for establishing a campus wide process for electronic applications for hiring faculty and for generating and reviewing personnel actions (an e-dossier program).

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy – Staff:

• Human Resources has analyzed the current employment profile through the preparation of updated “data” reports.
  o Conducted focused recruitments; analyzed referral/interviewing data
  o Initiatives to increase referrals to achieve diversity
  o Required attention to data by hiring authorities
  o Supported diverse selection committees
  o Trained hiring authorities in the selection process
• Developed an administrative system that will speed up the listing of jobs and review of classification requests. Focused on maintaining customer service and good cycle times to complete the selection process.
• Initiated and supported equity (salary) adjustments in order to recognize performance and maintain our competitive positions. Encouraged managers to review classifications and current salaries in order to “retain” employees.
• Received approval to complete third child care center and increase number of lactation sites. Responding to needs and creating an “Employer of Choice” position.
• Supported a complete array of training programs (no cost to department) to build retention and prepare employees for future openings. Provided funding to departments to support local training needs.
• Invested in a work-life project to best communicate to our staff the many advantages at UCD - wellness program, flex time, shared appointments, ASAP, child care, elder care.
• Continued support to departments to establish local recognition programs available under current policy.

Short Statement of Plans for 2004-05 – Faculty:

• Continue all efforts described above related to search committees, new faculty, department chairs, and faculty/chair leadership issues.
• Continue efforts to make the personnel process more efficient without negatively impacting the quality of the review, including working piloting an e-dossier program/database for personnel actions with the ultimate goal of expanding it to the entire campus.
• Work to stabilize/expand funding for the Academic Leadership Program.
• Complete the Handbook for Department/Program Chairs.
• Complete an Orientation Document/Powerpoint and an FAQ for Academic Federation Employees.
• Work on a mentoring program for faculty at the Assistant rank.
• Work to establish a framework that would assist in the nomination of faculty for prestigious extramural fellowships, awards, etc.

Short Statement of Plans for 2004-05 -- Staff:

• Completion of the competency pilot that will help managers better evaluate applicants, conduct performance reviews and classify positions. The pilot is currently being tested in several campus departments.
• Restructure the administration for our staff affirmative action and diversity program so that more attention can be given to achieving our goals.
• Consideration of additional support and recognition programs - educational leaves, performance incentives, internships.
• Continue work on child care support programs including services in the new “West Village” and financial support for child care subsidies.
• Establishment of internships along with supporting mentorships that will respond to the projected retirements and diversity needs.
• Continue work with community groups, campus constituent groups and unions to form partnerships that will “advertise” Davis as an employer of choice in order to attract strong and diversified applicant pools.

Evaluation of Metrics:

• Increase in number of endowed chairs and professorships; increase in the diversity of faculty.

  These are appropriate quantitative metrics to monitor; and we now have historical/baseline data with which to compare future results. The annual data are appropriate for a DataDigest.

• Provision of tools to faculty that streamline administrative processes.

  Retaining this metric is important although it is difficult to quantify. It does, however, keep at the forefront the goal of provide a reminder reducing the goal of reducing administrative “burdens” to allow more time for core mission activities.

• Provision of faculty/staff compensation/classification levels to be competitive with peer universities

  This is an extremely important metric. Compensation is currently a challenge to the campus because of the state’s budget situation, and we need to continue to be flexible in leveraging our resources.

• Expansion of faculty/staff benefits and nonacademic resources competitive with peer universities

This metric, like compensation, is extremely important for hiring and retaining outstanding faculty and staff. While the campus is very competitive with respect to recreation, lifestyle, and cultural events, affordable housing and child care availability are a challenge.

• Availability of opportunities reflecting work-life balance and gender-based issues for faculty and staff

  Currently, the campus has an outstanding and program for work-life balance accommodations – arguably, one of the best among research universities. Retaining this metric is important for hiring the best faculty and staff.

• Expansion of recognition programs and awards for outstanding teaching, research, and service

  Recognizing outstanding achievement in the core functions of the university is important, and UC Davis has numerous recognition programs in place. For example, the Academic Senate and the Academic Federation have awards for outstanding teaching [http://www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/senate/committee_dta.htm; http://www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/acadfed/02awards_exc_teaching_call_ltr.cfm)], research [http://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/committee_frl.htm; http://www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/acadfed/02awards_exc_research_call_ltr.cfm] , and public service (http://www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/senate/award/default.html; http://www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/acadfed/daacall02.cfm]. The Academic Senate also has a Mentoring Award (http://www.mrak.ucdavis.edu/senate/dgma.htm); and many of the Schools and Colleges present their own awards for teaching. Moreover, each year, the UC Davis Foundation presents the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement to a Senate faculty member in the belief that excellence in undergraduate teaching combined with distinguished scholarly achievement sets great universities apart from good universities. (http://www.ucdavis.edu/past_honorees.html). Thus, while some expansion of campus recognition programs/awards may be in order, an area that needs more attention is recognition of our faculty’s achievements at the national/international level.