Golden State Today

To the UC Davis Community:

It is important to start this month’s letter by acknowledging the difficult times we are enduring as a community, as a nation, and across the globe. As individuals and community members, we are experiencing what it truly means to uphold freedom of speech and First Amendment rights, even when such speech sometimes distresses or inconveniences members of the campus community.

At the same time, we are experiencing an unprecedented opportunity for the UC Davis community to demonstrate that our university is a place where civil discourse and vigorous debate can coexist within a safe environment offering access to all. I am dedicated to fostering dialogue within our community and finding common ground as we all seek more peaceful times.

Our actions and words matter. As Andrew Li, a distinguished professor and physician in our School of Medicine, says, “Whatever we can say, gesture, and do to defend innocent life and uphold principles of community both in our institutional sense and global sense reflects on us all.”

It is precisely because the world is ever complex and challenging that setting up students for success after they graduate remains our core mission. As I often say, especially at this time of year, it is my goal for our students to have a job offer in hand, a professional school acceptance, or a public service position before they cross the commencement stage.

Increasing social mobility while preparing students for careers they find meaningful is who we are at UC Davis. We are No. 6 among the 20 Best Schools for Career Placement for public schools, according to the Princeton Review’s The Best 389 Colleges – 2024 Edition.

Nishi Bhagat exemplifies this outcome. She graduates next month following her studies in cognitive science and computer science and is already entertaining job offers in the software industry. Nishi co-founded UC Davis Girls Who Code and won our 2023 Big Bang! Business Competition. She credits UC Davis for giving her hands-on opportunities and skills to kickstart her burgeoning career.

Aesara Rhys will cross the commencement stage in June with a degree in human development. Her next stop is our Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, where she will pursue her long-term goal of becoming a labor and delivery nurse. She says many campus resources aided her journey, including the Center for African Diaspora Student Success, the Nursing Club, and the Office of Health Professions Advising which helped review her personal statement before she applied to Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

Stories like these aren’t just good for UC Davis but for California as a whole. For the state to thrive well into the future, we must build a skilled and diverse workforce that matches California’s demographics for years to come.

A college degree is transformative for individuals, their families, and communities while also contributing to the region’s economy. According to the Brookings Institution, the average bachelor’s degree holder contributes $278,000 more to local economies than an average high school graduate through direct spending over their lifetime.

Today’s labor market increasingly rewards highly educated workers which is why college degrees are so closely aligned with social mobility. In 1990, a worker with a bachelor’s degree earned 39% more than one whose highest level of education was a high school diploma. By 2021, this difference had grown to 62% —and closer to 90% for workers with graduate degrees.

The return on investment for a UC Davis degree remains strong. A May 2024 report from College Futures Foundation shows that an average four-year UC Davis graduate from low- to moderate-income family recoups their entire cost of their degree in one year of work compared to those with only high school diplomas.

Emphasizing career readiness

UC Davis provides various programs and initiatives enabling students to clarify career goals resulting in workforce preparation. The Aggie Launch initiative aligns with our Strategic Plan goal providing world-class education fostering career readiness ensuring every student engages in experiential learning experiences like internships or research opportunities breaking down barriers especially benefiting first-generation students lower-income backgrounds bridging gaps funding leading healthy college experience better graduation rates job offers professional school.

The UC Davis College Corps provides opportunities receiving up $10k engaging public service-based experiential learning developing professional skills matched community organizations making difference developing leadership skills team-building problem-solving attributes lasting beyond college experience.

UC Davis unique research opportunities undergraduates third decade Undergraduate Research Scholarship Creative Activities Conference providing hands-on experiences employers seek presentations mentorship faculty preparing students future confidence creativity recognizing good work Quarter Aggie Square Sacramento program emphasis experiential learning engagement local community leveraging internships research clinical rotations contributing solutions real-world challenges healthcare education policy connecting industry professionals networking supporting career growth opportunities.

Student-athletes excelling beyond campus

Aggie EVO program designed helping student-athletes know navigate World Work preparing successful launch within twelve months graduation EVO stands evolution includes four-year non-credit-bearing course athletes acquiring interviewing skills internships networking connections alumni fully integrated required personal professional development program Division I athletics consistently delivering results post-graduation outcomes over eighty percent student-athletes launching employment professional sports professional school graduation.

One success story Shannon Lackey field hockey player graduated fall currently works SpaceX telling UC Davis Magazine “Field hockey (helped) me discover UC Davis which turn helped realize really like aerospace engineering very grateful people helped athletically academically.”

Centers success

Home nation largest internship programs annually placing over ten thousand internships ICC Internship Career Center helps students clarify career goals successfully transitioning workforce supporting finding securing part-time jobs campus internships career positions graduating attending Hire Me Academy June virtual workshops job fair accommodating campus left recently Jennifer Frey marketing specialist center graduating fall economics accepting Adidas Marketing Brand Media team directly transferring developed new career.

Culturally based student retention centers pivotal navigating college life overcoming academic challenges celebrating success unique communities individualized academic support basic needs resources housing food stability healthcare Erick Barbosa graduating Communications Spanish credits Center Chicanx Latinx Academic Student Success helping find way commencement stage going academic probation first quarter straight As following eager hitting job market broadcasting field center pivotal building time-management communication skills forging bonds friendships lasting lifetime.

Conclusion

UC Davis experienced significant improvements student outcomes past several years data showing increases on-time graduation rates regardless race/ethnicity gender parent education family income improving four-year graduation rate first-year students fifty-four percent seventy percent past ten years transfer entrants increasing past ten years continuing preparing students thriving diverse world workforce becoming leaders serving greater good congratulating Class 2024 wishing best next chapters Go Ags!

Sincerely,

Gary S. May

Chancellor