Student Affairs Strategic Plan

Resources

With an inspired (and inspiring) institutional strategic plan, To Boldly Go, setting a direction and guiding innovations and initiatives at UC Davis, the Division of Student Affairs is poised to take on a significant leadership role in bringing the University’s goals to life. Creating the ecosystem needed to ensure an educational experience that centers inclusive excellence, strives for equity and prepares students for the challenges of a divisive and changing social and cultural landscape is not only a worthy cause, but also an educational imperative. In partnership with Keeling & Associates, the Division seeks to establish a strategic plan that will complement the University’s goals by enhancing the experience and promoting the success of both undergraduate and graduate students while building an inclusive and equitable environment for students and the staff who support them.

Strategic Planning Committee

  • Kawami Evans (co-chair), Executive Director, Inclusion, Culture and Belonging | Divisional DEI Strategist
  • Lindsay Romasanta (co-chair), Chief of Staff
  • Celene Aridin, ASUCD External Affairs Vice President
  • Analisa Brown, Cross Cultural Center Graduate Student Resource Coordinator
  • Donelle Davis, Executive Director, Business Operations and Services
  • Luis Esparza, Associate Director, Internship and Career Center
  • Rolaine James, Disability Specialist, Student Disability Center
  • Ben Fong, Graduate Student Association President
  • Allyson Francisco, ASUCD Controller
  • Mateo Fuentes, Vice Chancellor Fellow at TRiO
  • Jeff Heiser, Associate Director, Campus Recreation
  • Neil Daniel Huefner, Associate Director, Student Affairs Assessment
  • Dave Johnson, Executive Director, Human Resources
  • Sergio Maciel, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Fellow
  • Cecily Roberts, Director, Women's Resources and Research Center
  • Mary Schertzer, Director, Retail Dining
  • Amy Shuman, Director, Workforce Development 
  • Margaret Trout, Executive Director, Student Health and Counseling Services

Project Timeline

July - August 2023

  • Project Launch
  • Data and Document Review
  • Initial Interviews

September - November 2023

  • Strategic Planning Committee
  • Staff and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Student Engagement
  • Comparative Research

December 2023

  • Data and Information Synthesis and Analysis
  • Theme Development

January - February 2024

  • Priority and Goal Setting
  • Formulation of Strategic Plan

March - April 2024

  • Implementation Planning
  • Final Strategic and Implementation Plans

Guiding Questions

Questions such as these will frame discussions throughout the project:

  • What should be true of the student experience at UC Davis that is not true now?
  • What trends in students’ preferences, needs and resources should Student Affairs anticipate and prepare for?
  • What are the most distinctive and positive qualities of the student experience at UC Davis that should be preserved or enhanced?
  • What should be true of the Division in three to five years that is not true now? What steps should Student Affairs take to get there?
  • What are the highest priority ideas, concerns and issues the Division should address during the strategic planning process?
  • How does Student Affairs align and operationalize the UC Davis Strategic Plan, To Boldly Go? How should Student Affairs partner with campus stakeholders to best support students?
  • How should Student Affairs contribute to building an inclusive campus with equitable outcomes?
  • What internal challenges (e.g., structure, operations, resources, working relationships) might hinder Student Affairs from achieving its goals? What might be solutions for those challenges?
  • How might the UC Davis Division of Student Affairs emerge as a leader in the field?

About Keeling & Associates

K&A is a higher education consulting and professional services firm that creates “change for learning.” The firm’s projects have a common purpose: to advance learning and improve outcomes for both students and institutions. The firm has worked with more than 350 institutions of higher education over the past three decades and has facilitated strategic planning projects for more than 115 colleges and universities, including for whole institutions or schools, divisions and major departments, and related foundations. For more information, please visit www.keelingassociates.com.