Strategy:  Enrolling and Graduating Academically Talented and Diverse Undergraduate, Graduate and Professional Students.

Point People: Judy Sakaki and Winston Ko

Narrative Summary of Second Year Implementation Efforts:

In support of the University of California and UC Davis goals to “seek out and enroll…a student body that demonstrates high academic achievement or exceptional personal talent, and that encompasses the broad diversity of backgrounds that is characteristic of California” and to successfully graduate these academically talented individuals, our campus has undertaken the following actions during the 2004-05 academic year.

Efforts towards enrolling and graduating academically talented and diverse undergraduate students:

• Student Affairs obtained $1.1 million in Federal TRIO grant funding (over 5 years) to establish a student support services program at UC Davis, beginning September 2005. These funds will help further facilitate student retention and graduation for low income and disadvantaged individuals. The program is proposed to be administered by the Learning Skills Center, in partnership with Undergraduate Admissions.
• Three scholars received the prestigious Goldwater scholarship this year, as compared to only one in the previous four years. In addition, one student was selected for the Donald A. Strauss scholarship and another for the English Speaking Union scholarship.
• Undergraduate Admissions made enhancements to the e-Recruitment program by adding a new Parent Page with information of interest to parents and an on-line parent contact sheet that allows announcements to be easily transmitted to parents.
• Humanities, Arts & Cultural Studies initiated outreach efforts to the Natomas Charter School for the Performing Arts to attract talented local artists, musicians and dramatic arts majors to UC Davis.
• UC Davis joined with the UC system in advocating to protect federal and state funding for K-12 academic preparation and other outreach programs from proposed budget cuts.
• The Davis Honors Challenge students researched the effectiveness of marketing and recruiting tools used by Undergraduate Admissions. Although the recommendations are still being reviewed, the students were very impressed with the admissions websites and found them aesthetically pleasing and user friendly. The students recommended that campus tours include the newer facilities (Activities and Recreation Center, Sciences and Segundo North).
• The Prestigious Scholarships Office and the Office of the Vice Provost-Undergraduate Studies hosted the first reception to recognize students who have received prestigious awards and the faculty members who contributed letters of recommendations and other support to the students.
• The Time-To-Degree Committee continued its analysis of time-to-degree statistics, factors affecting time-to-degree rates, and comparisons among campuses in preparation for making recommendations to the campus.
• More than 6,000 admitted students and their parents were hosted during UC Davis Welcome Week and Decision Days. Student Housing tripled their capacity for receiving visitors during Welcome Week so that any student or parent interested in visiting the residence halls would have the opportunity to do so.
• Deans, faculty and admissions staff held ongoing discussions about how more students could be recruited to specific programs.
• Undergraduate Admissions created an on-line profile of Freshman applications to facilitate comprehensive admissions reviews. Other UC campuses are interested in the new process and will be visiting UC Davis to view it.
• Undergraduate Admissions enhanced the MyUCDavis and MyAdmissions websites to allow students to access information about their own application, file a Statement of Intent to Register and a Legal Residency Statement online.
• The recommendations of the 2004 UC Eligibility and Admissions Study report were implemented.
• Undergraduate Admissions hosted the Council of African American Parents from Los Angeles with an admissions presentation and a student/alumni panel.

Efforts towards enrolling and graduating academically talented and diverse graduate and professional students:

• The Departments of Computer Science, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering were awarded three-year federal GAANN grants (Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need) by the U.S. Department of Education. The departments will administer the grants designed to support the recruitment, retention and scientific achievements of graduate engineering students from groups that are considered to be underrepresented in our nation’s current areas of academic need, technological progress, and workforce diversity.
• The Provost and the Graduate Studies Dean provided $4.5 million to increase block grants, mitigate recent graduate fee increases and ease the transition to a new non-resident tuition remission program for graduate student researchers.
• The College of Engineering participated in a variety of graduate recruitment for diversity efforts, including:
  • Faculty representation at the recent national conference of the Society of Hispanic Professionals wherein talented engineering undergraduates and workforce engineers from the Hispanic and Chicano/Latino communities attended a Graduate Fair designed to attract students to graduate engineering programs.
  • Recruited prospective graduate students at the American Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students.
  • Participated in the Western Regional conference of the California Diversity Forum (CDF) for Graduate Education wherein a diverse state body of talented baccalaureate engineering students had the ability to peruse graduate engineering programs at a Graduate Fair.
• UC Davis received funding for Phase II of the system-wide Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program in 2004-05. This program includes a retention and professional development program for underrepresented Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics graduate students interested in academic careers. The proposed yearlong AGEP Advantage Program is modeled after the highly successful Professors for the Future program, and will focus specifically on issues of diversity in preparing for an academic career. The program is coordinated through the Office of Graduate Studies, but also includes presentations and seminars by faculty from across the campus and from other institutions.

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy:

Many of the programs and services within Student Affairs, Graduate Studies, the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and the various colleges and professional schools are dedicated to recruiting, retaining and graduating high achieving students and diverse student populations. Program descriptions can be found at the websites of these units. Some examples of ongoing programs are below.

Undergraduate programs:

• “Think 15” campaign. This campaign encourages timely degree completion of undergraduate students.
• “Finish in Four” contracts. The contracts, sponsored by the Office of the Provost for Undergraduate Studies, promote graduating within four years. (http://undergraduatestudies.ucdavis.edu/).
• Phone projects. Phone projects are continuing, in which undergraduate students personally contact prospective students from selected high schools to encourage their enrollment at UC Davis.
• Freshman Seminars. The seminars provide small group interactions with faculty and peers and help improve retention. (http://trc.ucdavis.edu/trc/freshSem/current.html).
• Integrated Studies (Honors) Program. This program is an academic residential program for Regents Scholars and other high achieving students.
• Prestigious Awards. Faculty and the campus coordinator for prestigious awards mentor and prepare students to apply and compete for prestigious awards.
• Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANNRS). The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences supports MANNRS, a national organization that promotes recruitment and retention of undergraduates, graduates and professionals in a broad range of associated fields of study. Students are advised by a Counselor in the Dean's Office. They attend a yearly conference to participate in scientific presentations and informational workshops as well as to make contacts with other universities, company representatives and government personnel.
• Degree Navigator. This online system helps students to determine major requirements and track progress towards graduation. (https://registrar1.ucdavis.edu/DegreeNavigator/).
  • Scholarships and fellowships to help prospective students finance their studies. (http://financialaid.ucdavis.edu/schol.htm), (http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/ssupport/).

Graduate/professional programs:

• TOPS fellowship awards (Towards Outstanding Postgraduate Students). The College of Engineering annually awards approximately 9 full fellowship stipend and in-state fee remission support packages to help programs attract first year PhD students who will increase the quality and diversity of the graduate student body. Special consideration is given to applicants who have demonstrated significant academic achievement by overcoming barriers such as economic, social or educational disadvantage or who are the first in their family to complete a bachelor’s degree and/or attend graduate school, or those who have participated in tutoring, mentoring or service in outreach programs that are designed to foster the participation of underrepresented students in higher education, particularly in engineering.
• Gearing up for Graduate School Seminar. The College of Engineering annually hosts a spring seminar (ENG198) to attract Engineering undergraduates who are seeking information on engineering graduate programs, including graduate school options and opportunities and information on how to prepare for graduate school. The seminar is also an opportunity to reach out to a historically underrepresented population in Engineering graduate school.
• Annual Graduate Admissions Survey. The College of Engineering sends a survey every spring to all individuals who were admitted for the upcoming year with the goal of learning more about the admissions decisions: why a person selected UC Davis or why they declined UC Davis admission. The data enables the College to reflect on the quality of graduate programs, the strengths and weaknesses of the admissions cycle and process, and the competitiveness of the financial offers made to the admitted students.
• Seasonal graduate recruitment activities. Each spring, the nine graduate programs in the College of Engineering conduct recruitment events designed to yield the top applicants. Admitted students are invited for a day or a weekend of introduction and information exchange to encourage them to choose UC Davis for graduate study.
• Graduate & Professional School Information Days. Graduate Studies represents UC Davis's 80 graduate programs at various Graduate & Professional School Information Days sponsored by universities across the nation. UC Davis representatives inform prospective students about graduate school opportunities, answer specific questions about our academic programs, and collect information sheets from prospective students.
• California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education. The California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education is an annual day-long program designed to acquaint students from underrepresented groups with the career opportunities and academic challenges associated with advanced study in a wide range of disciplines. The Forum brings together approximately 1000 of the most promising underrepresented juniors, seniors, and master's degree students from California colleges and universities for a series of workshops covering all aspects of graduate work.
• The California Pre-Doctoral Program. The California Pre-Doctoral program is designed to increase the diversity of the pool of potential faculty by supporting the doctoral aspirations of diverse California State University students.
• McNair Scholars Program. The McNair Scholars Program (http://www.mcnair.ucdavis.edu/) is designed to encourage the pursuit of a doctoral degree by students who come from low-income families and are first-generation college students, or are members of groups traditionally underrepresented in graduate education. Each year, approximately twenty UC Davis undergraduates are selected to participate in both academic year and summer activities.
• National Minority Research Symposium. The National Minority Research Symposium is an annual conference held for underrepresented students who are participating in the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program or the Minority Access to Research Careers Program.
• UC LEADS. UC LEADS (Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees), is a two-year program designed to identify educationally or economically disadvantaged undergraduates in sciences, engineering or mathematics who show promise of succeeding in doctoral degree programs. The program provides students with educational experiences that prepare them to assume positions of leadership in industry, government, public service and academia.
• Higher Education Partnership Programs. The goal of the California State Universities/Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Hispanic Serving Institutions (CSU/HBCU/HSI) Partnership Programs is to build stronger relationships with these institutions. These programs enhance our campus overall recruitment efforts and assist us in our commitment to increasing the number of underrepresented students from these campuses, especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.
• Faculty Recruitment Participation Program. The Office of Graduate Studies student recruitment and outreach programs involve faculty participation in annual science and engineering conferences focusing on underrepresented students as well as visits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, California State Universities and other selected private and public universities and colleges.

Short Statement of Plans for 2005-06:

Plans for 2005-06 include:

Undergraduate students:

• The Time-to-Degree Committee will analyze time-to-degree issues and make recommendations to the campus.
• Undergraduate Admissions will initiate “in-reach” programs by making presentations to groups on campus who are interested in the Admissions process, such as faculty groups or staff with children who will be attending college.
• Efforts to increase participation and coordination of volunteers involved in student recruitment will be initiated. For example, Undergraduate Admissions is sharing its recruitment calendar with student groups who are visiting schools to facilitate more effective visit coordination.
• The use of the College Board’s Enrollment and Planning Services will be expanded. Currently contact information is purchased for students who meet the parameters for Regents or Chancellors scholars. A pilot effort to expand the targeted audience to additional diverse groups of talented students will be conducted.
• Contracts will be made with recent alumni to help recruit high-caliber students. This action will expand recruitment activities in a cost-effective manner and will match young graduates who had favorable UC Davis experience with prospective students.
• Members of the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANNRS) will work with the Center for Land Based Learning, a local non-profit organization that provides leadership and land stewardship experiences for inner city high school students and others across the State. Joint recruitment and retention plans are being developed.

Graduate students:

• The College of Engineering will support campaign efforts to increase resources for graduate student support and programs. The College also supports campus development of the new pilot graduate admissions electronic processing model that is underway in the Department of Computer Science. This model will allow for efficient and rapid application review by faculty and staff to enable more timely admission decisions.
• The second major Alliances for Graduate Education and Professoriate (AGEP) activity will begin, consisting of a ten-week mentored research experience, a scientific writing workshop and weekly seminars during the summer prior to the first year of graduate study. Mentors will also meet monthly for workshops on effective mentoring techniques and to share their experiences. At the end of each summer, the AGEP Scholars will present the results of their research. The AGEP Scholars will be supported during their first bridge summer by additional fellowship stipends that will enable the campus to strengthen the recruitment packages offered to underrepresented science, technology, engineering and mathematics students.
• A draft multi-year Graduate Student Support Plan is currently being finalized by the Office of Graduate Studies and in the next few months, the revised plan will be reviewed by the various campus academic and administrative committees.

Evaluation of Metrics:

• Alignment of demographics of campus undergraduate student population to better reflect the population of California. Rather than using the demographics of the California population as a benchmark, a more relevant measure is the “UC-eligible population” for underrepresented populations, as reported on periodically by the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC). The latest statistics from CPEC indicate the following rates for UC-eligible high school students. The UC Davis statistics for Fall 2005 Freshmen are shown in parentheses for comparison.
  
  
  • African-American 3.4% (UC Davis 2.6%)
  • Latino/Chicano 15.2% (UC Davis 11.9%)
  • Native Americans - less than 1%. (UC Davis, less than 1%)

  Our campus, as is the case with the other UC campuses, does not yet reflect the demographics of the UC-eligible population in California. These statistics can serve as a starting point for the campus to measure progress from year to year.

• Increase in the number of high-achieving students enrolling at UC Davis. All UC Davis undergraduate students are high-achieving, but to attract the best of the best, a list is purchased from the College Board that enables the campus to identify and recruit high achieving prospects (those meeting Academic Scholarship Index criteria set by the Academic Senate). In 2004, 956 targeted “high-achieving” students were enrolled at UC Davis.
  
  
• Improvement in competitiveness of financial support packages with other peer institutions, with special emphasis on scholarships and fellowships. Undergraduate financial aid is based on a model of "access" as opposed to competitiveness and there are many different ways to understand and compare financial aid packages in relation to access. One such method is the UC Undergraduate Education Finance Model (EFM), which expects all students to contribute to their education through loan and/or work. Use of the EFM at UC Davis is consistent with the other UC campuses.

  The campus made progress toward the goal of increasing graduate student support in 2003-04 compared to the other UC campuses (using the most recent annual UCOP Graduate Financial Aid Reports):

  • Among the UC Campuses, the campus moved from 9th in 2001-02 to 4th in 2003-04 in per capita net stipend for all graduate academic students.
  • For doctoral students only, the campus moved from 7th in 2001-02 to 5th in 2003-04 in per capita net stipend.
  • For masters students only, the campus in 2003-04 continued to be ranked 2nd (behind San Francisco) in per capita net stipend.

  The campus also made progress with respect to non-UC competitor institutions in 2004-05 (using the UCOP 2001 and 2004 Comparability Report):

• While UC Davis continues to a have lower average per capita Net Stipend for doctoral students than its competitors, the campus has reduced the gap of $1,111 in the 2001 survey to $451 in the 2004 survey.
• The campus has the second lowest cost of living among the UC campuses.

Increase in rate of growth in overall recruitment of graduate students in keeping with systemwide efforts.

• The number of graduate applications received by UC Davis for 2004-05 is lower than that for 2003-04. The same is true with the number of graduate students admitted and the number of new graduate students enrolled for 2004-05. All but one UC campus experienced a decline in the number of new graduate students enrolled in the fall of 2004.
• UC Davis is among the few UC campuses that saw a continued increase in overall graduate enrollment in Fall 2004. Indeed, UC Davis’s 3% growth rate is among the highest within the UC systems, second only to UC Irvine. As a result, UC Davis still has the third largest graduate enrollment in the UC system in 2004-05, after Berkeley and UCLA. Compared to these two campuses, UC Davis is doing better in attracting Hispanic and female students.
• While the total number of graduate applications for 2004-05 was down, applications from some of the traditionally underrepresented groups, notably Hispanic applicants (particularly, Mexican Americans) increased. UC Davis admitted more Hispanic students for 2004-05 than for 2003-04.
• The number of enrolled graduate students of underrepresented minority groups also increased in 2004-05. African American student enrollment increased by 3%, and Hispanic student enrollment (including Mexican and Latino students) increased by an even larger percentage (12%), while Native-American student enrollment declined.
• The number of graduate female admits was down, but the admission rate of 2004-05 was much higher for female applicants than for male applicants. Of all the graduate students enrolled in the fall of 2004, female students constitute the majority. Moreover, the number of female graduate students increased by 5.7% to 2,179 from the fall of 2003.
• There was a significant increase in the number of California resident graduate students in the Fall 2004 enrollment. At the same time, there was some significant decline in the number of domestic nonresident students enrolled. Despite a significant decline in international applications, the number of enrolled international students dropped by only 1.9%.
• Increase in the number of prestigious national and international awards and fellowships received by UC Davis students. The number of students applying for prestigious awards remained relatively constant, however, this year three students received the Goldwater Scholarship, as compared with only one in the previous four years. In addition, one student received the Donald A. Strauss Scholarship and another was awarded the English Speaking Union Scholarship. The number of Regents Scholars has declined from last year’s high level.

  The campus has modestly increased the number of prestigious national fellowships awarded to graduate students from 78 recipients in 2003-04 to 80 recipients in 2004-05. This small increase solidifies the more substantial increase since 2002-03 (50 recipients).

• Reduction in time-to-degree for all student populations. Statistics compiled by the Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange (CSRDE) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) are useful for measuring and comparing undergraduate time-to-degree rates. For graduate students, the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is a good measure. Time-to-degree statistics are currently under review by a campus-wide committee.