THE TASK FORCES

Academic Resources

Chair: Ralph Hexter, provost and executive vice chancellor
Primary staff support: Kelly Ratliff, associate vice chancellor, Budget and Institutional Analysis, Administrative and Resource Management

• Kyriacos Athanasiou — Distinguished Professor and chair, biomedical engineering
• Alan Buckpitt — professor, molecular biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Rosemary Capps — assistant to the director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
• Catherine Chin — associate professor and director, Religious Studies Program
• Joseph DiTomaso — Cooperative Extension specialist, plant sciences
• Paul Fitzgerald — professor and chair, cell biology and human anatomy, School of Medicine
• Adrian Glass-Moore — undergraduate student, East Asian studies, and ASUCD representative
• Tom Joo — professor, School of Law
• Susan Kauzlarich — professor, chemistry
• Subhash Mahajan — Distinguished Professor, chemical engineering and materials science
• Rosemary Martin-Ocampo — unit business officer, Central Development
• Nicole Moore — graduate student in Native American studies and education, and Graduate Student Assembly representative to the Graduate Council
• Kathy Olmsted — professor, history, Academic Senate representative
• Ted Powers — professor, molecular and cellular biology
• Dave Rizzo — professor, plant pathology
• David Simpson — professor, English, Academic Senate representative

Enrollment Management

Chair: Ken Burtis, professor, genetics, and faculty adviser to the chancellor and provost
Primary staff support: Bob Loessberg-Zahl, director, Institutional Analysis, ARM

• Ralph Aldredge — professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering, Academic Senate representative
• Yena Bae — undergraduate student, ASUCD representative
• Theresa Costa — academic adviser, plant sciences
• Paul Griffin — professor, Graduate School of Management
• Susan Keen — senior lecturer with security of employment, evolution and ecology
• Colin Milburn — associate professor, English
• Cutcha Risling Baldy — graduate student, Native American studies
• Susan Rivera — professor, psychology and the Center for Mind and Brain, Academic Senate representative
• Neil Schore — professor, chemistry
• Eric Schroeder — director, Summer Abroad
• Diane Ullman — professor, entomology, and associate dean, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
• Jean Vandergheynst — professor and associate dean, College of Engineering
• Catrina Wagner — associate director, Office of Student Development
• Deborah Ward — associate clinical professor, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing

Facilities Planning

Chair: Karl Mohr, assistant vice chancellor, Administrative and Resource Management
Primary staff support: Christine McUmber, director, Capital and Space Management, ARM

• Andreas Albrecht — professor, physics
• Trish Berger — professor, animal sciences
• Tom Famula — professor, animal sciences, Academic Senate representative
• Samantha Harris — associate professor, neurobiology, physiology and behavior
• Bruce Hartsough — professor, College of Engineering
• Joel Hass — professor, mathematics, Academic Senate representative
• Stuart Hill — professor, political science
• Tim McNeil — associate professor and director, Design Program
• Zack O’Donnell — service manager, Communication Resources
• Pablo Ortiz — professor, music
• Carolyn Penny — director, International Law Programs, School of Law and UC Davis Extension
• Emma Strong — graduate student, civil and environmental engineering
• Adam Thongsavat — undergraduate student and ASUCD president
• Peter Yellowlees — professor, School of Medicine

As the calendar turns to 2012, UC Davis is also thinking of 2020, as in the 2020 Initiative, with three task forces ready to start their work in January.

Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi unveiled the initiative in September, describing the effort in her Fall Convocation address as a means by which UC Davis could create “a university that can sustain its rising trajectory through its own best efforts, leveraging support from the state but rising above the fiscal limitations we now face.”

Emphasizing that nothing is set in stone, the chancellor outlined her “broad-stroke” proposal to enroll an additional 5,000 undergraduates — a mix of California, national and international students — and hire an additional 300 faculty members.

In so doing, Katehi said, UC Davis would add diversity, nurture even greater excellence in academics and research, and boost the regional economy.

To analyze the proposal and help plan for its target implementation date of 2020, Katehi and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter have appointed three task forces — on Academic Resources, Enrollment Management and Facilities Planning.

Faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students comprise the task forces, including members nominated by the deans, Academic Senate, Academic Federation, Staff Assembly, Graduate Student Assembly and the ASUCD.

Members of all three task forces gathered Dec. 12 for a joint kickoff meeting.

"We introduced them to the guiding principles and the process that the university will follow in contemplating the chancellor’s proposal,” said Professor Ken Burtis, faculty adviser to the chancellor and provost. Watch a video of the kickoff meeting.

“The administration and the task forces will be consulting widely with campus constituencies,” Burtis said. “We recognize clearly that this proposal impacts every part of the campus.”

‘Tightly interwoven’ planning process

In a letter to the members, Katehi and Hexter cited the “tightly interwoven” nature of the work of the task forces, and the work of senate and administration groups that also are examining the proposal.

“For example, decisions about enrollment will drive considerations of faculty hiring, and both of these will drive discussions regarding the physical infrastructure of the campus,” Katehi and Hexter wrote. “Likewise, academic resource decisions will drive discussions of enrollment and hiring as we align campus strengths and potential with the need to recruit the best and brightest students from California and beyond.”

In introducing the initiative, Katehi stressed a transparent planning process. Similarly, the chancellor and Hexter told the task force members: “The process we envision will enable complete transparency and constant communication between the various groups working on the initiative to ensure this integration is reflected in the advice generated by these groups.”

Katehi and Hexter said they anticipate that each task force will meet up to twice monthly from January to June, at which time they will present their initial recommendations in the form of written reports that will be shared broadly with the campus administration, Academic Senate, Academic Federation, faculty, students and the campus community.

The university also anticipates an ongoing conversation with neighbors, supporters and the broader UC Davis community.

The task forces will continue to meet on a regular basis to provide advice on issues that may arise during the early stages of the implementation process, and to assist in the analysis of initial outcomes.

Online

2020 Initiative

News release: "Chancellor announces plan to grow enrollment, jobs" (Sept. 21, 2011)

Earlier coverage: "City, county leaders endorse 2020 Initiative," Dateline UC Davis (Sept. 23, 2011)