CalAggie9 - Nov’09 - “UCDavis 2109”
e are submitted comments followed by the proceedings obtained from a meeting that was held on this topic. Click on the following link for a 23-page PDF compilation as of 11/23/09.
calaggie9-nov09-ucd2109-112309.
Please feel free to submit follow-up comments at any time, via registering on this website or by sending an email to calaggie9@gmail.com. They will be added to the top of this list. Thank you to ALL for participating.
“UC Davis In Its Next 100 Years.” - What immediately comes to mind when you think about UC Davis in its next century? What will be some of the university’s main challenges, and what will be some of its main accomplishments? In what areas will UC Davis experience the most growth or change, and in what ways will it stay true to the university’s culture and tradition of the past 100 years? Where will UC Davis be in 2109, and what will its legacy be?
NOTE: Each response has been given a heading in bold at the top indicating the topics that it covers. This is to make it easier for you to browse the document. Enjoy!
Post-Meeting Responses (sent after November 10)
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Curriculum, Agriculture, Funny
- 100 yrs ago, Davis was a 1 (2?) year farm program, I can’t help but think the proliferation of bachelor’s degrees and the move towards masters degrees as the standard in the working world will require a change to the education format. Given the evolution at Davis more than most schools, and the opportunities to provide more hands on experience, I’d look to see new programs that blend undergrad, grad, and vocational experiences into 1 accelerated program. Either that or we bulldoze Berkeley for more farm land.
- Given that land used for agriculture in the US hasn’t increased from 50 years ago, there will continue to be a push towards agricultural productivity/efficiency. Davis sits in a seat to either shy away from agriculture because it’s not sexy, or dedicate the financial and land resources to becoming the research powerhouse.
- First year students will still screw up bike circle traffic.
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Campus
Look at Mrak Hall Drive.
Sorry I can’t add more – I don’t have much time, I’m an Aggie…
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Research, Private Investment, Funding
UC Davis, the UC system, and government at all levels will have become far more entrepreneurial as they wish to survive, compete, and grow. UC Davis will develop a world-class research park, along with private investors and the scientific community focused on alternative energy, bioscience, space exploration and colonization. The research park will be an very good example of business and academic collaboration — which will be sorely needed without those former annual ‘fat-checks’ from state and federal government that by 2109 will be long gone.
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General
UCD will be way more than one can even imagine!
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Leader in Sustainable Agriculture
In the last 100 years we modernized agriculture to feed a growing population and electrified every corner of the country, but the methods we use to create food and power are not sustainable. In the next hundred UC Davis will take the lead in the re-invention of agriculture and energy. UC Davis will be widely known for these achievements as well as its dazzling antique tractor collection!
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Sense of community, UC Davis as a unique challenge & experience for students, UC Davis identity compared to other schools
What is most exciting to me about the future of UC Davis is something that is at the core of its past and present - its focused, proud, and determined excellence in higher education in a unique locale that breeds friendship, camaraderie, and loyalty. I saw UC Davis create loyalty in a diverse range of students, staff and faculty, not just to the school as an institution, but also to the school as an ideal. Bringing tens of thousands of motivated students to a former farming community, then Ag school, and now general campus, has been quite the successful experiment. Davis, for many students, is the perfect place to experience college, and therefore forms a common bond among those students that lasts in a truly special way.
Throughout the campus there is no one single thing that comes to mind that unites people’s varied interests, goals and desires. Sure, we have Picnic Day, Aggie Football in the fall, Quad Battles, and great professors in every department. But I don’t think any one of these things on its own makes Davis. Instead, it is the fact that every fall over about 5,000 students buy in to the college experience. They are challenged academically in the way that we expect from the University of California, the best public university system in the world. But those students, mostly 18-year-olds, who arrive in September every year are also challenged personally - individually but also collectively. They’re not thrown into an enclave within a major metropolitan area. Nor are they comfortably among cushy suburbs. Davis surrounds them with a radically different environment than almost all of them have grown up in. Certainly, as we move forward and even more of Davis’s students will be coming from cities and suburbs, this effect will happen on an even greater scale. Students will know that for the next 4 or 5 years, or longer, if they choose to stay and work on campus or pursue a graduate degree here, they are Davis. They are the university, the town, the environment, the “brand.” When I visit other campuses, or talk to friends who attended them, that loyalty typical of a Davis alum often doesn’t come through. They sometimes seemed to be more fans of the school - proud of their alma mater’s sports teams or U.S. News & World Report ranking - than identify themselves as part of the fabric of the school itself. What has made Davis so special for its first 100 years - reflected in the passionate loyalty of the Cal Aggie Marching Band-Uh, the bright, young students, the athletes, tour guides, and Aggie Packers, is exactly what will make it special for the next 100 years. And it’s something Aggies far and wide can be proud of and excited about: Aggie Pride.
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World-Recognition, Funding, Reconfiguration
UC Davis has become, in a relatively short period of time, a world-recognized university. The single best indication of this is its invited membership in the Association of American Universities, but there are many other signs of this high quality.
The twenty-first century is beginning with difficulties owing to California’s inability to continue to fund higher education well. Changing priorities and its financial difficulties are the major detractors from the highly valued University of California we’ve known for 100 years.
But these problems are soluble problems. We will first recognize that the state - and UC Davis - must think “reset.” That is, short-term full recovery is not possible. We will reconfigure, then work our way back, with less money but remarkable ingenuity, to the high quality we expect of California and Californians.
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General, Tradition
A top tier public University with a reputation for excellence and steeped in tradition.
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Disappearing Traditions
I think that if Davis follows our current track during the next 100 years our school traditions will be lost. We have already lost the Bonfire, the yellow CA on the Water Tower and many other traditions. In order to grow in our future we need to keep our past and honor our traditions.
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Fundraising
Brilliant [$1 billion] Campaign.
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International Recognition
By 2109, UC Davis may be referred to internationally as UCD because the word Davis won’t be needed, or it’ll just be Davis because the UC won’t even be able to afford its own naming rights. We’ll be simply D-Aggies.
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Global Leader, Arts and Humanities, West Village, Athletics, Value of UC Education, Funding/Student Fees
Over the next 100 years, I believe that UC Davis will build upon its role as a trailblazing institution focused on issues that reflect the needs of our community in both local and global capacities. It is my understanding that the relatively new group of administrators on the
system and campus levels intend to foster UC Davis’ global presence, which is a valuable mission. It will be key that UC Davis is on the cutting edge of research and development that focuses on creating a greener, more hospitable, and just-verdant world. It is also my hope
that niche areas of study are not sacrificed to achieve this goal.
The disbanding of programs and departments like Clothing and Textiles is a sacrifice of diversity at our university, and a detrimental loss to those fields of study. This is an example of the systemic loss of appreciation and development of the arts and humanities. It is crucial
that institutions of higher education take a stand in defense of fields of study relating to the arts as K-12 continues to eliminate these programs from our schools. UC Davis should also be a pioneer on this front.
The addition of West Village and the expected rise in the reputation of our athletics programs is an exciting development to witness as an undergraduate and now an alumnus. I look forward to returning home to witness the Aggies tromp the Hornets and Mustangs on an annual basis.
Projects like this are often scowled at by the students who associate these seemingly extravagant ventures with our budget shortfalls and hikes in student fees. Unfortunately, that association is incorrect. While the impending fee hikes may prove to be a dangerous hurdle when maintaining a socio-economically diverse body of students, the cost of education in the UC system is a relative bargain compared to other universities. The main grievance most students should concern themselves with is hyper-inflation and the inability to forecast the
costs of their education. We must come to terms with the times and find a solution that does not result in a doubling of student fees over the course of one generation of students. This is the UC’s impending hurdle.
Despite budgetary issues, I believe that the UC is headed on the right path. In 2109, I trust that UC Davis will still be following its mission to feed the minds and shape the actions of our future leaders.
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Gender, Athletics, Diversity, Funding/Student Fees
By 2109:
Society will have completely different gender roles and norms. Little girls will be raised in such a way that they are not discouraged from having an interest in playing football. It will no longer be seen as a male sport. The interest in women’s football will be so normal in the 22nd century that there will be both men’s and women’s football teams at the high school and college levels (much like basketball). The UC Davis Women’s Football team will have won the national title at least four times, and will be a national powerhouse – both while being a perfect example on campus of Aggie Pride.
UC Davis (and UCLA, which beat us to it) will set a trend for the rest of the country by having one male and one female mascot; Gunrock (who will no longer look like a blue crocodile) and his female counterpart will travel with the Band-uh to all Men’s and Women’s football games.
UC Davis will also be looking to earn its 50th national championship in one of its 37 intercollegiate sports (Rugby, Women’s Football, Men’s Volleyball, Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Gymnastics, Men’s & Women’s Ice Hockey, Men’s Field Hockey, Bowling, and Hovercraft Polo have been added to the 27 it had in 2009). The Linda Katehi Sports Center, located in what was formerly undeveloped land to the east of campus, will have all the facilities necessary for UC Davis’ many sports. We will have very generous donors behind each of these Athletics initiatives.
The Davis and UC Davis community will look entirely different. Davis will continue to be a small town (relatively), but its racial and ethnic composition will be much more diverse. A trip to downtown will be a multilingual experience; you will hear all types of languages and accents as you walk pass the intersection of 9th and O Street. The UC Davis student body will be equally diverse. The Cross Cultural Center will have a grander home in the Memorial Union, and will set an example for the nation in the way it helps students appreciate attending the most diverse university campus in the world. Across the hall from the Cross Cultural Center will be the International Scholars and Study Abroad Center (ISSAC).
Undergraduate education will be viewed as a partnership between the student and the state of California. Students will not be treated like customers and education will not be treated as a product to be purchased. Rather, higher education will be guaranteed to all students who seek it; students will pay for what they can and public funds will pay for the rest. Taxpayers will understand that the return on investment in students’ futures for society is very worthwhile.
Go Ags!
Pre-Meeting Responses (sent on or before November 10)
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Academics, Athletics
UC Davis’s leadership in research, teaching and service continues to grow and gain even more international prominence as a truly preeminent center of learning. (And, Aggie Athletics is a real force in the national NCAA Division I playoff scene—-of course!)
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General
I believe UC Davis continues to evolve and grow in all facets. Whether Academics, Scientific Innovation, Athletics, The Arts, or Student Life, UC Davis will impact lives across the country and around the world.
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Agriculture, Rankings
I believe in UC Davis, not just as an educational institution but as the spirit of our great state of California.
The spirit of California is founded in agriculture and it is of the utmost importance that we at UC Davis recognize this. In this recognition comes an appreciation of all that has been discovered and created as well as a desire to better ourselves. We are blessed to have the resources at our fingertips to launch our university and the state of California into greatness. I personally don’t think UC Davis gets the credit it deserves. Unfortunately we live in a world that is obsessed with rankings and critical acclaim, so the quality of our dear university seems to be evaluated by U.S. News & World Report where we come in at a sad 42nd. I like to rationalize the rating to my family, friends and colleagues by saying that we’re 42nd because there was a mistake with submitting the data. But in truth, if the university wasn’t careful enough the send in the correct data, UC Davis wasn’t worthy of a higher rating. I believe in UC Davis. I firmly believe that we need to respect our roots. We were founded as the University Farm and we must remember that agriculture is noble.
I see UC Davis as the hub of agricultural research and practical application in 100 years. Perhaps not trying to excel in everything, but focusing on what it does best. Agriculture.
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Agriculture
The University of California, Davis, as part of the UC System AND part of the Land Grant College system, will remain one of the premier AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES in the world. Top flight teaching, extension, and research in ag production and utilization will be an ongoing priority focus of the entire campus, including administration and allocation of resources / budgeting. This will be taken forward system wide, and to the Legislature and people of the State of California. All the above will be in the finest tradition of UCD’s founding precepts and first hundred years.
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Funding
Privatized university. In the next 100 years, the state tax payers, largest companies, and legislators will continue to deprive our campus of funding. But, more importantly the K-12 will continue to under educate and matriculate under prepared students forcing the UC to spend millions on remedial education. I expect more for-profit programs (masters/professional degrees) and hopefully fewer undergrads and more UC and CSU campuses/online programs.
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Research/Teaching, Funding
Clearly UC Davis has had a profound impact on business and agriculture in California over the past 100 years. The question is how much of that is related to the research done on campus and how much is a result of the well educated grads going out into California bringing what they learned and enriching the community.
Let me make it more specific: How important is the research done by professors - funded by research grants - versus the importance of actually teaching undergrads? Which has benefited the overall community more - research or teaching?
As a follow up, in an environment of tremendous budget restrictions and administrative furloughs for both staff and faculty - which should receive the greater focus? Teaching or research? The direction of the University for the next 100 years starts this year. Is UC Davis going to be a university known for the quality of the education received or for the innovation derived from research? Both are important. But what is the mission of the University of California at Davis? Are the students getting what they are paying for?
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Sustainability, Mentorship
The campus has already stated the next period of UC Davis is “The Sustainable Second Century”- that is the theme and slogan from University Communications and the Office of Administration, Resource and Management. I think it would be interesting to find ways that we could support that vision and brainstorm ways that UC Davis could reach that goal.
In meetings I’ve shared with our Chancellor, another theme for the next hundred years is one of mentorship. She has focused on this in her own career and finds it very valuable for the entire campus community. So in what ways can there be greater opportunities on our campus for staff mentoring, faculty mentoring and student mentoring?
We can only grow stronger by empowering our own, and mentorship in my experience has been a precious gem I wish I would have begun back when I was a student. There could be ways for us to have even more mentorship opportunities between our own members.
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Transfer Students
My comment is simply about the change in freshmen and transfer students being admitted. We know the campus is slowly reducing the number of freshmen admitted and increasing the number of transfers. While this creates small ripples now, I’m always thinking about what this could mean for the campus 5-10 years from now. Will UC Davis become a commuter campus? How will the campus change if a great majority of students are only here for 2 years? Personally I don’t think the campus has put out enough services to assist transfer students but is working to get there. But I do find it interesting that while some campuses are moving towards being more like UC Davis now (i.e. Sac State), UCD is changing its student composition.
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Sustainability
When I think of UC Davis over the next 100 years, I envision Davis as a crucial component, link, in the connection of our ever developing, industrializing world and the agricultural processes that sustain it.
It will be on the forefront of balancing environmental sustainability, social sustainability and fiscal sustainability.
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Community
UC Davis is unique in that it is a top University still located in a small(ish) town, one dominated by college students. If we can keep that identity, and continue providing top-notch education and community feel to the children of California at rates they can afford, this will continue to be one of the top colleges in the nation, and indeed can improve upon its current ranking.
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Funny
In 2109, UC Davis will sit in the center of the 40-million population SF-Reno metropolitan area. Davis and its sister campuses (UC Stockton, Rocklin, and Colusa) will host 270,000 students among them. UCD will continue to be a major research center. Also, in 2109, ASUCD will begin the 37th remodeling of the MU, marking 127 years of continuous construction on a single building.
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Language
Faculty and staff of most UC campuses, including Davis, will be required to speak and understand the Spanish language.
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Funding, Traditions, Identity
UC Davis In Its Next 100 Years:
Budget: I know budget is something everyone thinks about. With budget cuts, where will our funding come from? What will major fundraising do to our identity? How will it shift the way we’re seen by prospective students, current students, alumni and donors?
Traditions: As the Bonfire has been disbanded, what will happen to our traditions? What traditions are still alive? What traditions will we fight for? What new traditions will be created? (Example: Back to School Weekend - for alumni and community members, Parent and Family Weekend for parents of UC Davis students, etc.)
Identity: What will UC Davis be known for in 100 years? Still Ag? Bio Sci? What about the arts? I know those are all questions, so I guess in addition to a few questions, here are some sentences:
“I wonder about UC Davis’ future. To see where we’ve come from in 100 years is beyond outstanding and awe-inspiring. Such tradition, such history, such pride and community. And yet within the past few years, I feel so much has shifted dramatically. Not for the bad, but is it for the absolute best? I hope to see UC Davis in 10 years as a campus, an institution that I am proud of, one that I can relate to, one that doesn’t forget where it came from and doesn’t get lost in its growing identity. One that is representative of all the small things that makes it what it is today. The next 10 years, and the 10 after that and the 10 after that are what will shape the history of the next 100 years to come.”
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Sustainability, Funding, Teaching, Research/Technology, Agriculture
What comes to mind when I think of UC Davis in its next century… I think about how the campus is physically changing with all the new buildings, especially the effort made to build “green” LEED certified buildings, like the new winery, dorms and other projects I have heard of. I think UC Davis will face many challenges in the next 100 years regarding funding and student fees, however I believe UC Davis will work it out and continue to provide an excellent education to its students, leading research in the scientific community and many more innovations. To think of how much UC Davis has changed in the last 15 years let alone the last 100 leads to many possibilities as to where we will end up. It is my hope that UC Davis continues to thrive, keeps its character of a small college town, and opens new doors in research and innovation. I see that it will become much more technologically advanced in all aspects of operation, research and teaching. HOWEVER I strongly hope that UC Davis will keep true to its agricultural roots that it was founded on in the next 100 years. As farming is threatened so much in today’s world I hope that UC Davis can help to preserve and advance today’s farming into the next century as well.
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General
U.C. Davis will be the top public university in the country.
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Student Accessibility, Agriculture, Corporate Sponsorships
It is very difficult given the current climate, to think about the next 100 years in the future of UC Davis. So many students are struggling just to make it through the NOW. I believe that there are some crucial decisions that will be made this year - and in the near future - that will have long term effects on UC Davis, especially around issues of accessibility. The people that have access to a UC Davis education now will directly affect what a UC Davis Degree means 100 years on. Another interesting thing to look at when we consider the future is how close we will choose to stay to our roots as an Agricultural university. In recent years, as majors within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences were restructured, the word “agriculture” was removed from many of the titles. This is an interesting shift that seems to have been made for aesthetic purposes? I have seen widely differing perspectives on the extent to which we market UC Davis as an Agricultural university as well, all of which will determine the future of the University. One last thing is the extent to which we will allow corporate sponsorships at the University (the recent US Bank agreement for example), and how these will be used. Chancellor Katehi has stated on several occasions that she sees UC Davis rising in the rankings; is this one of the things that is going to ultimately help us get there?
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Funding, Accessibility, Curriculum, Campus
The first thing that comes to mind is not just what UC Davis will look like, but what will our structure of public education look like? This last century saw the master plan for higher ed, which gave the UC
extraordinary value and placed it at the pinnacle of our public system here in California. Will the next 100 years be marked by the inevitable privatization and increasing commercialization of the academic into a simple good to be bought and sold to the highest bidder? Or will we reinvest in our education, fight to maintain access for all, and preserve the diversity of thought and experience, of focus on academics and the proud variety of outside activities. As we look forward to further investment and growth in our biological
sciences and engineering departments, we must make sure we do not leave our social sciences and ethnic studies behind. As we appraise with pride our new stadium, health building, and community center, we
must pause to reflect on the students who will never use these sparkling facilities, not next year nor in ten or even a hundred, because they face the insurmountable challenge of double digit fee increases, with no relief in sight.
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Agriculture
We would like to see UC Davis focus on agriculture, and related sciences, over the next century.
We will be watching…..
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Sustainability
-How can the campus take the lead (in front of other institutions) in the area of sustainability?
-What will higher ed teaching be like in 100 years…all in some online format? If so, how will we engage students?
-How can we position ourselves to continue to be a cutting edge leader in 25, 50, 75 and 100 years?
Just imagine what those 100 years ago thought about life in 2010 for UC Davis. I doubt they could have ever imagined a Facebook, Twitter or even a television…
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General
For some time, UCD has lived in the shadows of its renowned siblings, yet still found ways to make a name for itself. As the school continues to grow, its accolades will further prove and distinguish it as one of the nation’s greatest universities.
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Research, Athletics & Pride, Affordability
“I foresee UC Davis continuing to head down the path of world class research, which leads to novel discoveries with Aggie professors/researchers at the helm. This would be my optimistic view of the next 100 years. I actually believe this will come to pass because I tend to see things as the cup being half full. If I were a pessimist, I’d be very concerned that the continuation of educational budget cuts at the state level and ever-increasing tuition costs for students will start a bevy of problems that will result in UC Davis becoming as costly as a tier 1 private school with the quality of professors and education of a tier 2 teaching school.
“I played football at UC Davis and was lucky enough to be a captain during my senior year. The week prior to playing Sac State, the captains of both teams go to the annual Causeway luncheon. This luncheon is attended by lots of people: media, fans, coaching staff, old Aggies and old Hornets. One of the Hornets captains was not present at the luncheon and Sac State’s coach played it off as he being unable to make it to the luncheon due to the rigors of a Sac State education. In reality this one particular captain was
injured and the coach did not want him limping around for everyone to see. Everyone at the luncheon knew this. Their coach also mentioned that unlike at UC Davis, professors and not TAs taught the classes at Sac State.
Bob Biggs spoke after the Sac State coach was at the podium. He admitted that TAs did teach some classes at UC Davis, but that was primarily because our professors were busy doing the research to write the books that professors at Sac State were using to teach their classes. I was so proud to be an Aggie that day. It exemplified that, yes, UC Davis is not perfect; but in spite of our imperfections, we strive to be the best around.
“I would hope that 100 years from now a UC Davis football captain could witness a similar scene at the annual Causeway luncheon. I would hope that the professors/researchers at UC Davis could still be paid competitive salaries, so that a UC Davis education would be indistinguishable from the Stanfords of the world. At the same time, I would hope that the UC Regents would decide to decrease student tuition when times are not as tough, so that the cost of a UC Davis education would be distinguished from the Stanfords of the world.”
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Business, Admissions standards, General
Since graduating in 1992, I see UC Davis emerging as a top tier brand of its own. Last Century, UC Davis seemed a respectable, yet distant cousin to the likes of Berkeley and UCLA. We’ve had a productive and impressive 100 year run but I think the next 100 years will be the breakout Century for the Ags. Just today, I was working on a business deal with a new and leading high tech firm. 2 of the 8 members of that executive team, including the Chairman/CEO were UC Davis grads. My own firm’s executive team also includes 2 former Ags. The deal was coordinated by yet another former Ag. I’m very proud to be an alum who probably couldn’t get accepted to UC Davis by today’s standard–a dubious honor I suppose. But I’m encouraged by and supportive of pushing the standard higher. During my tenure, the UC Davis brand seemed one of quiet competence. And in the next 100 years, the social, academic, and athletic achievements that spawn from our understated university will speak loudly for themselves–and on the world’s stage!
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Funny
Dominant UC campus…
Berkeley and UCLA flooded by inland tides due to Global Warning/Climate Change.
UC Davis makes latest discoveries in food and fiber propagation on Mars and beyond…
El Rodeo (campus year book) re-instituted and uses new brain implant technology!
Ags beat Sac State for straight 96 years!
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Research, Public Service, Athletics, Pioneering Sprit
On the occasion of our bicentennial we will celebrate and reflect on another century of fabulous contributions from UC Davis researchers and alumni. We’ll look back on the number of Nobel Laureates who followed in Dan Sperling’s ever-shrinking carbon footprint. We’ll revel in the number of Rhodes Scholars our campus produced while we were climbing up the Washington Monthly’s annual rankings of the schools that do the most for society. Our Athletics program will have been a member of the Pac-12 for so long that no one will remember when we weren’t part of that august group and our Hall of Fame will sport seven Division I Director’s Cups, eclipsing our previous total during the Division II era. One thing that won’t change is the pioneering spirit that still will have Aggies around the globe, and throughout the cosmos, searching for the next great breakthrough to catapult society ever upward with the motto “Let There Be Light” as their mantra!
GO AGS!
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General
UCD in its next 100 years will continue to gain national respect as one of the more prestigious and impressive universities while remaining the secret gem of the UC system.
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Athletics, Academics, Agriculture
A continued commitment to academic and athletic excellence: that is what I want from UC Davis in the next 100 years. We have accomplished much, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.
I want to see Aggie Stadium built up to its maximum capacity, and have every home game be a sell out.
I want us to continue to dominate our friends from the other side of the Causeway.
I want us to challenge Stanford for the Director’s Cup.
I want our four undergraduate colleges to keep attracting the best young minds that California has to offer.
I want our university leaders to get their heads out of the sand and help find a solution to the budget crisis, so that the doors of the university are always open to those who want to walk through them.
I want the vet school to continue to be the best in the country.
I want us to revolutionize the world of agriculture…again.
I want us to celebrate our agricultural roots, and not relegate them to the status of a quaint relic from a bygone era.
I want the rest of the country to recognize us as one of the crown jewels of the UC system.
I want to do my part to make sure the next 100 years are better than the last.
And I hope that everyone affiliated with the university is willing to put in the work as well.
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Research, Tradition
Winston Churchill said, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” UC Davis over the last 100 years has built a solid foundation as a research institution with an emphasis on Aggie Pride and tradition. I am confident UC Davis will continue to grow, enabling ground breaking developments in agriculture, engineering, medical sciences and much more. Go Ags!
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Agriculture
I’d imagine 100 years from now Antique Mechanics and the Germaplasm Repository would be the only vestiges of agriculture remaining on campus, rendering “Go Ags” a sad irony.
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Funding, Teaching, Research, Identity, Lobbying
I’m most concerned about UCD being able to sustain its educational excellence and to recruit top-notch professors, researchers, and administrators. The state budget cuts have shown that the UCs need to start looking in other directions for funding. It would probably be in UCD’s best interest to build up an endowment to attract faculty and students.
I hope that UCD can keep its “small college town” feel and Ag quirkiness (i.e. the renovated hog barn, antique mechanics, dairy on campus).
I’d like to see UCD more involved in the state Capitol since it’s right down the road. It’s presence in Sacramento in areas other than the medical center is underwhelming even when there’s an abundant alumni community.
I’m excited to see how the 100-year agriculture project turns out. 
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Sustainability
The leader of all things sustainable!
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Technology
No wires, tires or pliers in 2109!
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Tradition, Student Attitudes, Semester System
Unless Aggies keep our traditions alive (and the true meaning of integrity and pride in academics), we may look more like a clone of Univ. of Michigan or any other mega-U in the next hundred years. More pressure to succeed and more information to ingest mean more stress and less time for non-essential interaction. I think we’re already seeing this syndrome in our graduate student population. Maybe we’ll follow Berkeley (yet again) and return to the semester system…who knows? It could provide a slower pace and deeper appreciation of college-level work.
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Research, Internationalism, Athletics
UC Davis is a jewel in the crown of the University of California. Through its interdisciplinary approach to learning and intellectual discovery through research, it is setting the bar for the next generation of important research outcomes that will help transform society into a more peaceful and healthy existence. Already we host the fourth most international scholars in the US and that number will continue to increase in the next century, placing collaborators worldwide to work with UC Davis faculty and students on the most pressing societal issues.
On a facilities front, an International Center will be constructed on campus that will house 600 students [half domestic and half international], along with a café open to the public with international cuisine, newspapers, music, etc. It will have space for holding lectures and forums that will push the cultural, religious, political and other barriers to thoughtful discussion and listening. It will also house the services necessary for UC Davis students to study abroad and international students to study at UC Davis.
On the athletic front, the women’s basketball team will become a consistent contender for a position in the NCAA post-season tournament.
Thanks for this opportunity to look into my crystal ball for the next century.
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| Speaker 1 | How many responses were there, roughly? |
| WR | Around 25 or so. |
| Speaker 2 | Biggest problem facing university is budget cuts. I work at the Capitol and it is on everybody’s mind.
I had a conversation with someone from the budget committee, who expressed comments similar to those just read by the WR. K-12 system pumps out under-prepared students, and UC must pay for remedial education as a result. This person expressed a lot of hope that UC can pull up the K-12 system. In the midst of budget cuts, UC System will continue to be a leader in CA public education. University needs to start looking for other sources of funding. University will probably be able to stay sustained from public funding. It is good to have that mission endure and provide a pathway to educate the public. |
| Speaker 3 | There have been many budget cuts in the past; it is all part of a larger trend. The adjustments that the University makes are maintained.
As a faculty member, when these budget cuts have hit in the past I’ve needed to go look for grant money in order to continue doing my research. Funding for research is no longer done solely by the state. It is national and international. This really begins to alter the interactions Essentially, when the University survives each budget cut it is changed in small ways. Historically, these have been changes toward prioritizing research instead of teaching. Looking at all the years since I’ve been here, each budget crisis has shifted UC further and further away from its teaching mission. Privatization will come in a large way. This is going to take away ownership from the University. I don’t think this very good. I think that the public service and teaching aspect of the university is going to decline. We need to try to soften this. We need to balance the teaching and research. Furthermore, UC’s research should not exist to serve private entities, but rather the public or something larger. |
| Speaker 1 | I think of a campus that I have been a part of for past 28 years. The campus is growing and expanding exponentially. I have a hard time seeing agricultural facilities being replaced by newer buildings, because we would be losing that part of our campus. |
| Speaker 4 | I envision that we are going to have students leave here who will see the full breadth of the university. I envision a lot of change through virtual communication; UC may outreach its vision to students. It can share its vision with K-12 students, and it can share its vision even more broadly.
Instead of focusing on privatization, let’s focus on personalization. Students will build their interpersonal skills at the university. The university is going to be an example of cross-cultural participation and interaction. There is going to be participation through media all around the world in UC Davis. Going forward, we need the campus to be involved in the quality of life of its students. We need to invigorate science/education in K-12 in our country, otherwise we will be a third world educational institution. We are heavily reliant on international students and their interests. We need to ensure that creativity is inherently a part of this university, so that our quality of life and of our university is maintained. Otherwise, the students sitting around this table years from now will not have relatively the same options that we have today. We need to show vision and excite and encourage participation. Also, I think we will have unplug days: Students will be able to talk to people on campus rather than listen to their music. This is going to reflect our changing ability to teach communication skills. |
| Speaker 5 | There is an presentation given at summer orientation about the future of the campus. It showcases the campus over the next 20-30 years. It is really neat to see what the plans for the future are. For example, they are planning on opening up a giant corridor between the MU and Mrak Hall. It is interesting to think about what my kids will see when they attend UC Davis. On the other hand, I get afraid when I think about how the campus might change in other ways. For example, the loss of the Homecoming bonfire; who doesn’t like the bonfire?? Something that scares me is that the future might also mean our traditions would disappear. Today, an overwhelming amount of students don’t know bossy cow-cow. What traditions from today will persist into the future? |
| Speaker 6 | I sincerely believe that there is a need to restore faith in the system among students. Many students think that the university does not care about them; that, once we graduate, it is good riddance. We need to start working to build community and communication between the university and its students. I think the new student resource center will be very valuable toward this, because of how it brings together many students who already share the same goals. |
| Speaker 1 | Earlier I spoke to some of the challenges to our reputation. Now, I want to touch upon opportunities. It is exciting that our new chancellor is an engineer. I think our world will be influenced by biotech and nanotech; we won’t need monkeys or primate center, because we can do all the modeling through computers.
Best way to sum this up is in the words from one of our responses: (no wires, no tires, no pliers); technology will drastically change this university and society. |
| Speaker 2 | I appreciate what everyone has said. I think that we should put down some solutions to our current problems. We need to have people look beyond current boundaries and build connections with students, faculty, and alumni. We need a greater presence in the capital city. We need a statewide presence.
When I first came to campus, there was a lot of shared energy toward making UC Davis a great community to learn and live in. We need a resurgence of this Aggie Pride. |
| Speaker 7 | In line with previous speaker, I feel that this idealism in thinking about future is fruitless. We need to think about current problems and think of solutions to these problems. It’s nice to fantasize about the next 100 years, but how about the next 10 years? What solutions do we have that will allow the next 10 years to carry us into the next 10 after that, and so forth until 100 years later? Some of the most important things that we should be talking about as a group, in my opinion, are: University is beacon of research, we are having a reverse brain-drain. A previous speaker mentioned that faculty and departments have a pressure to emphasize research over |
| Speaker 8 | The budget cuts which are being felt are really being viewed negatively. We don’t have money like we used to.
There needs to be a point of view of looking at this as an opportunity. Where there is no money, there is an opportunity to change and restructure. Looking at the next 100 years is fruitless; to get to the next 100 years, we need to decide what we are doing now. Take these budget cuts as a way to adjust future vision. Students are losing the familiar feeling on campus with change in town on campus. This is a time when students and staff should work together to help the campus. It is the time for students to initiate and invigorate their pride and action on campus. |
| Speaker 1 | I agree that it is important to think about the near future, the next 10 years, and to think about the solutions to some of our immediate challenges. But in thinking about the next 100 years, we also get an idea of the bigger picture. It helps us understand where we want to go in the long term, and the type of short term actions necessary to achieve that vision.
I think that there is a lot to talk about solutions. What about the 1 billion dollar campaign? |
| Speaker 5 | How much of an impact can students make on the UC-wide decisions? The associated students at each campus are sending their senators and representatives down to Regents meetings. Whenever we send student to lobby at the capital, we always hear that there is no money for UC.
The protests that are happening are a powerful way to show Regents and the UC President that these issues are big for students. A small portion of money is used for undergraduate education; we need to put more money to undergrad education. Originally, when the UC was founded under the Master Plan, there was supposed to be no tuition. Tuition has been increasing by 9% every year, and this year it is increasing by 31%. We will pay over $10,000 to go to school. We do have tuition, it’s just called student fees. |
| Speaker 4 | There is nothing that Emil Mrak envisioned about higher education that did not happen. His vision for the campus was all-expansive.
I had an incredible experience when he came in and shared and trusted this group and told them what was going on. We wanted to be at the table and hear what he shared. Clark Kerr was run out of office by Reagan. Mrak shared this challenge with us before Reagan came into office. Leadership is about the ability to connect with people about your vision. This group offers the opportunity to see how great leaders focus outward and on large long-term products. I really hope that you really work to attempt to link up with people who are focusing on those time frames as you are, so you have that background with the issues you work on. The chancellor had no decision-making power in the financial issues that we are experiences. As a leader, she has the opportunity to restructure and refocus our opportunities. Since Davis has a greater history, we are not so silent. We are across departments and colleges. It is worthwhile to focus on and think about the future, but the focus is trying to listen and engage people that are on this campus in a variety of areas so that students graduate with stronger communication. |
| Speaker 2 | Regards to lobbying the capitol. There is hardly enough money to buy a candy bar in the capitol. There should be more money. It is like a broken record, there is no money. We are spending a lot of time communicating that we need funding, and not enough time expressing a desire to restructure UC for California. We need to work toward marketing the UC in a new form.
We need to repackage our message. Instead of simply asking for money, we should ask the state, “what can we do to help you?” We should bring state leaders to our campuses and show them what cutting-edge research and projects we are doing to advance society, and show them why UC is so important to California. “Stop cutting us, stop cutting us” does not work. We need to commit our willingness to work with and listen to state leaders to build a UC that everybody can find value in. The capitol is divided, and we need to work to share our plans and vision with them. |
| Speaker 3 | This biggest problem is that primary funding for teaching is changing. We need to adjust our sources of funding. Our funding comes from getting research grants. It takes a strong leader to maintain the balance between teaching and research. We need to not become unbalanced.
The total atmosphere of campus will be slowly changed if we do. Now, the research is a primary focus; the leadership needs to work to balance this out. |
| WR | We are approaching 8:00, perhaps some closing remarks? |
| Speaker 3 | This is in relation to tonight’s meeting. I am excited for this new method of input, if we continue to do this and get this variety of opinions, and get the opinions of people who can’t come to meetings, we can deliver this to people.
This new method will give us bite. |
| Speaker 1 | A thoughtful response came from Italy. Another came from Germany. We have had a very broad response.
Regarding the topic, does this mean in 100 years that we are not a land grant university? Does it mean we are another private university? |
| Speaker 5 | I also want to thank the WR and the previous speaker for executing this new type of discussion.
Regarding the land grand institution concern, if this mindset is out there it is very worrisome. The idea that we will no longer be a public service institution is frightening. Maybe this is one |
| Speaker 2 | This is also in relation to tonight’s meeting; I agree with what previous speakers have said about our discussion. This is one of the most stimulating conversations I have participated in in a while.
Where are we going to go from here? We need to attack the 10-20 years question. What about 1 billion dollar campaign? Perhaps we should bring in guest speakers and experts, maybe on panels like what CAAA does, and have them in the conversation with our members. |
| WR | I can answer some of those questions. With regard to the long-term scope of this discussion topic, for example it being about the next 100 years instead of the next 10 years, we wanted our very first topic to be something that stimulated creativity and some degree of fun. Of course, it’s creativity informed by knowledge about current events and situations for UC.
Our December topic will be much more specific and much more relevant to the UC’s current situation. This was just a topic we chose for testing a new way of sharing ideas. In terms of guest speakers, the officers do plan on bringing in guest speakers and experts. However, we wanted first for our membership to increase at meetings before we did this. It would be a little embarrassing if we invited a reputable or highly respected speaker and there were only a few members at the meeting. |
| Speaker 2 | Perhaps there is a chicken and egg problem in this regard. Maybe if we publicized a guest speaker a lot of members would want to come and see, attendance would be high at that meeting. A lot of people would be interested in hearing from that person. |
| Speaker 3 | What are the income expectations for students leaving UCD? We used to do training related to debt. We need to know the result based upon the arguments we are making.
One needs to be able to be conversational as to the range of income that a person will have from this institution. It is pretty direct. There are all kinds of categories, but we need to look across the whole campus and see where everyone fits. For all those who have been recipients of education, they need to give back. |
| WR | I want to thank everybody again for coming; one of our fears with this system was that people would see no reason to come to meetings anymore. I’m glad we were able to get a good discussion going, and I’m even more excited to share the responses we’ve had with everyone. |
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“UC Davis In Its Next 100 Years.” - What immediately comes to mind when you think about UC Davis in its next century? What will be some of the university’s main challenges, and what will be some of its main accomplishments? In what areas will UC Davis experience the most growth or change, and in what ways will it stay true to the university’s culture and tradition of the past 100 years? Where will UC Davis be in 2109, and what will its legacy be?
Categories: CalAggie9, FACE initiative funding, Faculty Involvement in Campus Life, Student Suicide and Mental Health, Suggest a New Topic
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