Strategy: Enrolling and Graduating Academically Talented and Diverse Undergraduate, Graduate and Professional Students.
Point People: Jan Gong and Winston Ko
Narrative Summary of Fourth Year Implementation Efforts:
Undergraduate Students
Overarching Achievements and Characteristics in Meeting this Strategy:
In keeping with the fundamental mission of the University of California, UC Davis is committed to seeking out, enrolling, retaining, and graduating a student body that demonstrates high academic achievement, exceptional personal talent, and a diversity of background and experience that well reflect the people of the State of California.
To achieve these outcomes for the undergraduate cohort, administrative systems are designed to:
- Provide a comprehensive Enrollment Management Continuum, designed and organized “to assure that students enter the university of their choice with relative ease, negotiate the complexities of the institutional structure to their benefit, and exit with a degree;” - Leon Washington; and
- Employ a customer service outlook in which “service management is a total organizational approach that makes quality of services as perceived by the customer (the student), the number one driving force for the operation of the business.” - Noel and Levitz
Individual departments and programs within the Enrollment Management Continuum contribute to these outcomes and administrative values by:
Increasing the number of college bound high school graduates and transfer students
- Through the Academic Preparation Program (APP), together with Student Academic Preparation, Educational Partnerships (SAPEP), and transfer student initiatives, UC Davis continues to work with various associates including K-12 schools, the business sector, community organizations, and the UC Davis School of Education to raise student achievement levels generally, to close achievement gaps specifically, and increase the college going rates of all students in California.
Recruiting and enrolling undergraduate students
- UC Davis’s comprehensive marketing and recruitment plan involving campus-wide collaboration is the corner stone of the campus’ recruitment efforts. With additional funding, these recruitment efforts have been substantially expanded and tailored to students throughout the State of California. Campus and regional presentations to high achieving students, including Regents’ Scholars, have been refined to include personalized academic reinforcement, competitive financial scholarship support and peer-based contact.
- The Academic Senate and the BOARS Committee, Undergraduate Admissions, the Enrollment Policy Board and Enrollment Planning Workgroup, College Deans’ offices, and system-wide enrollment groups have been actively engaged in revising admissions policies and practices to ensure the achievement of optimal enrollment targets, both for the overall undergraduate cohort and for individual colleges.
- A key component of enrolling students is ensuring that the quality of in-person and electronic services can be navigated with ease, thereby providing students with a seamless recruitment and enrollment process. Improvements in the “MyAdmissions” web portal, with ready links for prospective and admitted students to academic units and other student business functions (registration, housing, orientation, financial aid, visa information, health insurance, etc.) are contributing to this aspect of matriculation.
Retaining and graduating undergraduate students
- Ensuring that students have the academic and developmental support needed to succeed academically and persist to graduation requires a collaborative commitment from academic and Student Affairs units. A renewed and campus-wide emphasis on the factors that contribute to retention, including academic preparation, tutorial and mentoring opportunities, peer-based interventions, support for student wellness, and campus climate impacts, provides the foundation for enhanced success, particularly for some demographic groups. New and continuing assessment efforts regarding retention are also providing a strategic baseline for campus-wide initiatives.
Specific Achievements and Characteristics for the 2006-2007 Year in Meeting this Strategy
- A comprehensive marketing and recruitment plan featuring the “Learn – Discover – Engage” theme of the strategic plan was implemented, with marked success.
- Sustained progress was seen in the enrollment of underrepresented student categories at both the freshmen and transfer levels, so as to better reflect the demographic composition of high school and community college graduates in the State of California.
- Concurrently, the average grade point average of entering freshmen has been maintained or slightly improved, while the average composite SAT scores have improved significantly. Taken together, these metrics indicate that the goal of enrolling a diverse and representative cohort with high academic preparation and achievement performance is being achieved.
- Graduation rates of underrepresented student categories have decreased over the last three years, resulting in continued efforts to focus on the factors contributing to student retention and graduation generally, and the experiences of underrepresented students specifically.
- A Student Transition and Retention (STAR) Committee was initiated and its preliminary report with recommendations for retention and transition of students was completed. The committee is continuing to work to complete its final recommendations during the 2007-2008 year.
- The “Graduate in 4” emphasis was integrated into the campus culture via programs, practices and policy across the undergraduate Colleges and within Student Affairs programs.
- The campus received $600,000 of new registration fee funds as the first phase of increased funding for campus mental health and wellness services, designed to assist in the academic and personal success of students.
- Five students from the first cohort of undergraduate students from the Reservation for College Program were accepted for and enrolled at UC Davis. As promised to these students (when they were fourth graders), financial assistance to support their attendance at UC Davis will be provided for their undergraduate careers.
Specific Plans for the 2007 – 2008 Year in Meeting this Strategy
- The recommendations from the Student Transition and Retention (STAR) Committee report are to be completed and implemented, as funding allows.
- Focused efforts on recruitment, enrollment and retention of transfer students will be undertaken, including the creation of a Transfer Student Task Force, with broad faculty and administrative participation.
- The continued development of partnerships that support the “30 Mile Radius Initiative” and efforts in the Northern Counties of California will be pursued.
- The campus, with the Office of the President and other UC’s, will participate in a review of the admission process and development of a Comprehensive Enrollment Management Plan
- With the Academic Senate, a mentoring program for students, specifically targeting mentorship by faculty, will be designed and a pilot program implemented. As well, ASUCD’s efforts to create a peer-based mentorship program will be supported by Student Affairs.
- Mental health and wellness services designed to enhance clinical care for students, as well as training and intervention tools for academic units to use in supporting the academic support for distressed students, will be funded. Data regarding student mental health trends will be collected so that it can be used with other UC campuses to evaluate the impact and utility of enhanced services.
Evaluation Metrics
Attachment I includes the metrics that are relevant to this goal, with particular emphasis on the applications, admissions and enrollment statistics for both freshmen and transfer students. Information on the academic characteristics of these students is provided, and the data may be viewed collectively and by ethnicity.
Graduate and Professional Students, As a Whole
Overarching Achievements and Characteristics in Meeting this Strategy
- The UC Davis McNair Scholars Program prepares talented undergraduates for doctoral studies through involvement in research, seminars, advising, preparation for the Graduate Record Examination, and other scholarly activities. Students who participate in the program come from disadvantaged backgrounds, show strong academic potential, and are committed to pursuing the Ph.D. degree. Graduate Studies submitted a new proposal to the US Department of Education and funding for this critical program was approved for four years. http://mcnair.ucdavis.edu/
- While UC Davis currently offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) program for health professionals (including medical and veterinary students), the Graduate Council approved an new curriculum that is intended for first-time graduate students with bachelor’s degrees in life sciences.
- Recognizing the importance of the Web as a recruiting medium, Graduate Studies has launched a web redesign service. This service assists graduate programs in developing functional, creative and informative web pages to assist in recruiting new students and keeping current students informed.
- Graduate Studies created a completely new viewbook to inform prospective graduate students of our programs and our campus. The new viewbook contains inserts for various groups of graduate programs and represents a vibrant and dynamic picture of UC Davis.
- In an effort to recruit underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, Graduate Studies has instituted a series of STEM Preview Days. These events bring prospective students from California and across the country (including Puerto Rico) to campus to learn about our graduate programs and to meet with specific faculty in disciplines of interest to the students. These events have proven to be very effective in attracting students to UC Davis.
Specific Achievements in Ongoing Programs in Meeting this Strategy
- The UC LEADS (Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees) program managed by Graduate Studies is designed to identify educationally or economically disadvantaged undergraduates pursuing courses of study in science, mathematics, or engineering who are likely to succeed in graduate school. This program provides students with educational experiences that prepare them to assume positions of leadership in industry, government, public service, and academia following the completion of a doctoral degree, preferably at UC. http://www.ucop.edu/ucleads/program_overview.htm
- In Graduate Studies, the AGEP (Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate) Advantage Program offers professional development opportunities for underrepresented students considering academic teaching careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The AGEP Fellows program provides a transition summer for underrepresented STEM students who are just beginning their graduate careers. During 2006-07, UC Davis took the lead in organizing the first CSU/UC Faculty Summit under AGEP sponsorship to promote conversations toward the goal of increasing the number of CSU students who transfer to UC doctoral programs as well as the number of UC students who pursue master’s degrees at CSU. http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/students/agep.html
- Graduate Studies and Student Affairs began a collaborative process for the use, enhancement and evaluation of support services to graduate and professional students.
Specific Achievements in Individual Professional Schools in Meeting this Strategy
Graduate School of Management
The Graduate School of Management provided a range of successful programs, initiatives and efforts in 2006-2007 to “enroll and graduate academically talented and diverse undergraduate, graduate and professional students.” These include:
- Successful expansion (increase in enrollment) of the UC Davis Bay Area MBA program for Working Professionals. During 2006-2007, the Graduate School of Management’s student recruitment efforts resulted in a 44% increase in applications and a record sized incoming class for our Bay Area MBA program this fall. A "full-court" marketing press in the Bay Area and more information sessions for prospective students contributed to a growth in applications from 100 to 144. The addition of 77 new Bay Area MBA students for a total enrollment of 165 was achieved. In fact, the two part-time Working Professional MBA programs offered in Sacramento and the Bay Area account for 20 percent of UC Davis' overall enrollment increase.
- Successful recruitment of international students and exchange students to the Daytime MBA program on the UC Davis campus. In 2006-2007, the Graduate School of Management’s Daytime MBA program had 22 international students and two exchange students (all of whom hold passports outside U.S.) – or 19% of the total headcount of the Daytime MBA program (116 total students). Graduate School of Management staff recruited in
- China (Beijing, Shanghai)
- India (Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi)
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Seoul, South Korea
- Tokyo, Japan
- Continued success with attracting, recruiting and teaching science and engineering undergraduate students for the Technology Management Minor degree program. In 2006-2007, a total of 219 students enrolled in the Technology Management Minor program.
- Through the Graduate School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurship, several business development programs were offered to train UC Davis science and engineering graduate students, Ph.D. candidates and post-doctoral researchers, giving them the skills, knowledge and network they need to test the market potential of their cutting-edge research. These programs continue to have a significant impact in the licensing and commercialization of campus technologies.
In 2006-2007, eight Business Development Fellows from across the campus participated in the year-long program (with nine fellows selected for 2007-2008). In addition, there were113 Business Development Intensive participants (including the week-long September 2006 Business Development Summer Intensive Program, the Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy, the Environmental Health Academy and a School of Medicine Intensive Program).
- The Graduate School of Management will also play a critical role in educating future nursing leaders as part of the curriculum being developed for the new Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. Integrating management education into the comprehensive, interdisciplinary training was a condition of the $100 million gift to establish this sixth professional school at UC Davis.
School of Law
- The UC Davis School of Law was rated in the top 10% of all U.S. Law schools in the diversity of its student body. As well, its academic attrition rate is under 1%, thus boasting a very high graduation rate of its students.
- The law school over the last year has expanded its successful King Hall Outreach Program (http://www.law.ucdavis.edu/admissions/outreach.shtml), which reaches out to provide socioeconomically disadvantaged students with the advising and skills to be more competitive in the law school admissions process. Besides the summer residence program that has been in place for over five years, the Law School expanded its weekend skills class (known as a pre-law "boot camp") for students during the 2005-2007 year. In this way, the law school provided admissions and skills classes for hundreds of prospective law students. Some of the students eventually were admitted and enrolled at UC Davis School of Law.
- In 2006-2007, the Law School taught a Pre-Law program for undergraduate students interested in the study of law, during the Special Transitional Education Program. A number of law professors taught in that course in the fall, which provides background for students interested in law and law school.
- The Law School faculty is also quite diverse, by measures of race, ethnicity and gender. It includes more Asian American faculty than any law school in the continental United States, and more Latino faculty than any law school in California. Only a few schools in the U.S. have more Latina/o faculty. In the 2006 – 2007 year, the Law School was successful in building on this reputation, hiring five ladder-rank faculty, including three Asian Americans and three women.
School of Veterinary Medicine
- The School established contacts and become a presence at numerous junior colleges and high schools.
- Tutoring support for students is provided at all stages of the curriculum, thus contributing to the retention and graduation of student.
- Open house days were held in the Veterinary School, particularly providing opportunities for underrepresented students to become aware of the School’s varied veterinary medicine programs.
- An early admission program for exceptional students was utilized.
- Scholarship support for those needing financial aid was also provided.
- Quarterly meetings with enrolled students are also held to provide opportunities to discuss and resolve academic problems and respond to the needs of students.
School of Education
- The School of Education most actively advanced this strategy by providing for the hiring of a full-time outreach and recruitment staff member. Designed to recruit students for the full variety of School programs, the individual will be particularly charged with recruiting and enrolling a diverse cohort of undergraduate and graduate students. The position was filled in the 2007-2008 academic year and is expected to have a concerted effect on the composition of the School’s student cohort.
School of Medicine
The School of Medicine embraces the goal to “Enroll and graduate academically talented and diverse undergraduate, graduate and professional students” and has created complementary strategies to achieve this objective. These include:
- This current academic year, the School enrolled 20 students (19% of the class) who are American Indian, African American, and Latino -- which is twice as many enrolled students in the category of "underserved in medicine" compared to the prior academic year. Current students work closely with staff and faculty to attract excellent students from under-represented groups. The School was a major sponsor of the National Medical Association meeting. For example, the Latino Medical Student Association and the Student National Medical Association are very active at "pre-interview day," during interviews, and post-acceptance.
- Of special distinction at UC Davis, the student-run clinics primarily serve under-represented patients (Latino, Asian, African-American, Muslim and sex industry workers). They are completely operated by students with volunteer faculty medical directors. Applicants receive information and tours of the clinics, which has had a positive impact in the admission process.
- The admissions process includes leadership from ethnically diverse faculty and the number of underrepresented faculty on our admissions committee has been increased. Faculty (both full-time and community VCF) from under-represented communities are involved in the interview and selection process and actively contact admitted students to express the opportunities available at UC Davis School of Medicine. The admissions screening process has also been improved by emphasizing "the road traveled" as well as academic credentials.
- The UC Davis School of Medicine offers a one-year, comprehensive post baccalaureate study program designed to assist educationally and/or socio-economically disadvantaged applicants in gaining acceptance to medical school. With major funding by The California Endowment, the ultimate goal is to increase the number of physicians who practice in underserved areas. The program is open to first-time applicants to medical school and to re-applicants. There are three components: an intensive summer study skills and MCAT preparation program, assistance in the application process, and three quarters of enrollment in upper division science courses at UC Davis.
- The Associate Dean of Diversity and Faculty Life plays an active role in facilitating a welcoming climate for students. Her office coordinates welcoming dinners and receptions for women, under-represented minorities, and LGBT students, faculty and community physicians.
- The School of Medicine has established an Office of Diversity to support and expand these important activities. This office supports activities to support a diverse faculty, which is directly tied to creating an environment that will successfully enroll and graduate diverse students.
- The School has emphasized diversity in the development of the curriculum, including the clinical experiences. For example, the Center for Reducing Health Disparities is leading a grant funded initiative to develop faculty, staff, and trainee culturally and linguistically appropriate skill sets.
- Diversity is articulated as a guiding principle in the strategic plan for the School and the UC Davis Health System.
Specific Plan for the Attainment of this Strategic Goal for the 2007-08 Year
- Provost Hinshaw allocated $2.5 million in 2006-07 to reduce by 25% the cost of fees and tuition for graduate student researchers paid with external or non-university funds. The campus has committed to $35 million in graduate student support for 2007-08.
- Graduate Studies will finalize a new graduate recruitment plan that outlines a strategy for attracting a talented and diverse graduate population to the campus. This plan will be critical to our efforts to increase graduate enrollments by 50% over the next 12 years. One element of this plan is the creation of a Graduate Ambassadors Bureau, which is a group of dynamic and committed graduate students that accompany professional recruiting staff on visits to other campuses and recruiting events.
Evaluation Metrics - please view this attachment (Acrobat reader required).