OCTOBER 2024
Intranet Project
The foundation for a college-wide intranet was established in October with the relaunch of the .edu website. This intranet will aggregate organizational charts, resources, and answers to many FAQs throughout all areas within the Dean's Office.
Goals addressed: 1.1.1, 4.1.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3
NOVEMBER 2024
Strategic Vision
Greater Together for the Greater Good, The 2025-2030 Strategic Vision for the College of Letters and Science published and shared with all faculty, staff, alumni, the UC Davis community and the general public.
Goals addressed: ALL
APRIL 2026
Committee for Community and Inclusive Excellence
The Committee for Community and Inclusive Excellence provided its Spring 2026 update on activities, including a January 2026 faculty scholarship event to promote Inclusive Excellence research and four working groups to support the Strategic Visioning Implementation teams. Read the full committee update.
Goals addressed: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 2.2.1, 2.2.4
Operations Work Group
The Operations Work Group has published a Dean's Office org chart on the L&S intranet, improving visibility and access. A "Who Does What" staff resource is in progress. We launched a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt project to design a streamlined, digital hiring process for Academic Instructors, TAs, Readers, and Graduate Student Researchers — with plans to replicate the model for other hiring workflows. Read the full committee update.
Goals addressed: 4.1.1, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3
Research Focus Work Group
The Research Focus Work Group identified several areas that can be improved to advance research and enhance research impact. It is important to protect faculty research time, value and recognize research excellence, enhance faculty-to-faculty mentoring including experience in seeking extramural grants, and provide support on financial, facility, networking, outreach and publicity, information for opportunities. These can be achieved by making merit process more efficient, awarding research excellence with workload credit and teaching release, hiring sufficient faculty to support research and teaching missions, providing seed and bridge funding, flexible and alternative funding models and strengthening development teams. Read the full committee update.
Goals addressed: 2.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.3
Alumni Focus Area Work Group
The Alumni Focus Area Work Group has provided department chairs and other faculty with a guide to best practices for alumni engagement developed by the working group team with input and feedback from half-a-dozen department chairs. They also produced a two-page “How to Alum” document for disseminating to graduating students. This lets them know 1) we want to stay in touch, 2) help is available for them at this time of transition, and beyond, and 3) we invite their contributions to tomorrow's students when they feel ready. Read the full committee update.
Goals addressed: 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 1.3.3, 1.3.4
Revenue Generation Work Group
The L&S Revenue Generation Work Group is exploring several revenue-generating ideas aligned with the College’s Strategic Vision Goal to achieve financial sustainability by expanding external funding and grants, developing new revenue streams, and securing philanthropic contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. Read the full committee update.
Goals addressed: 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3
MAY 2026
College of Letters and Science Guide to Alumni Engagement
On behalf of the Strategic Visioning Initiative's Alumni Workgroup, we are pleased to share this brief practical guide for Department Chairs, which is designed to help L&S departments to start engaging Alumni or to expand how they engage Alumni. This is a key aspect of the College's strategic vision. If you are a chair, please block out some time to read this over the spring or summer, and please share it with anyone in your department who would benefit from this resource.
The dean's office wishes to express our gratitude to Lloyd Knox, who chaired the workgroup, along with members Magali Billen, Luis Esparza, Anya Gibson, Andrea Hanson, Louis Warren, and Sundeep Dugar."