Our First Five Years

Our First Five Years

Imagine a university where scholars, students and community members collaborate in meaningful ways, tackling pressing problems through partnerships that prioritize reciprocity and mutual benefit.

That’s what UC Davis envisioned five years ago when it established the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement (PSE). Today, PSE has redefined how the university connects with the world by supporting research, teaching and learning that includes community needs and voices.

Guided by a coordinated approach to collective impact, the purpose of PSE is to cultivate and foster a culture of engagement that recognizes and rewards publicly engaged scholarship, builds the collective capacity of UC Davis scholars, and increases the university’s impact through mutually beneficial partnerships that have local, regional and global reach.

A new era begins

PSE emerged from a collective desire within the UC Davis community and beyond to weave community engagement into the fabric of the university’s research and teaching mission.

In early 2017, Professor Michael Rios was appointed to develop a strategic implementation plan for public scholarship and engagement. Rios’s method involved extensive campus and community engagement, using a participatory approach to gather insights. This inclusive process engaged more than 1,000 participants, resulting in the 2019 report, Public Scholarship for the Public Good: An Implementation Framework for UC Davis.

Public Scholarship for the Public Good introduced three goals aligned with the UC Davis strategic plan, To Boldly Go; the university’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision; and the university-wide task force report, What It Means for UC Davis to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution: Investing in Rising Scholars and Serving the State of California.

  1. Rewarding and recognizing public scholarship in research, teaching and creative practice.
  2. Developing and improving community-based student learning experiences.
  3. Increasing mutually beneficial community engagement and public impact.

Building on the implementation framework, the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement was launched in July 2019, the same month that Professor Rios was appointed as Vice Provost of Public Scholarship. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, PSE achieved significant accomplishments in its first year, nurturing the growing momentum to advance public scholarship and engagement in higher education.

Elevating Engagement

PSE’s first initiatives tackled the biggest barrier identified in faculty surveys during the implementation process: the lack of recognition and support on campus for engaged research and teaching.

The Community Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows program, offered from 2019 to 2022, emphasized building mutually beneficial relationships with community partners for the purposes of student experiential learning and integrating engagement into the learning process. Seventeen fellows participated in the first three years of the program.

In spring 2020, PSE introduced the Public Scholarship Faculty Fellows program, providing six months of support, learning and peer mentoring to faculty working on projects that include a public scholarship aspect — such as documentaries, public art, book projects and new avenues of research. As of 2024, 30 fellows have participated, with four program alumni receiving international awards for their engagement work.

Recognizing that faculty often need grant support to launch projects with community partners, PSE established the Public Impact Research Initiative (PIRI) in 2020. PIRI funds faculty research in partnership with non-university groups, promoting collaboration and impactful scholarship. PSE typically funds eight to 10 projects per year, with grants ranging from $7,000 to $10,000 per project. Nearly $430,000 has been awarded as of 2024. Several PIRI recipients have subsequently secured further funding for their projects, including grants from state and federal agencies.

Shaping Future Leaders

Through engaged learning and teaching programs, PSE is committed to preparing the next generation of leaders, equipping students with the skills needed to address complex societal challenges. The office collaborates closely with university and community partners to strengthen student learning in community settings, both locally and globally. This partnership approach serves both as a strategy and a cultural ethos.

In winter 2022, in partnership with Graduate Studies, PSE launched the Public Scholars for the Future (PSF) program, which offers a course in community engaged research, peer mentoring, research funds and one-on-one faculty mentoring for Ph.D. students. This program attracts graduate students from diverse disciplines and levels of experience with community engagement, and 27 students have completed the program.

Expanding on these successes, PSE partnered with the University Library to establish the Library Graduate Student Prize, with the inaugural winners announced in winter 2024. The prize celebrates graduate student researchers who use the library to create outstanding, publicly engaged scholarship. Additionally, PSE has led two crowdfunding efforts for graduate student fellowships and prizes, raising more than $7,750 since 2023.

In partnership with the Division of Student Affairs, PSE serves as the community partner liaison for the UC Davis College Corps, a statewide initiative that engages students in meaningful service addressing K-12 education, food insecurity and climate action.

More than 500 UC Davis students have performed over 115,600 hours of community service at 72 partner sites since 2022. The fellows, including more than 60 undocumented students, received a total of $3.2 million to offset tuition and living expenses in the program’s first year. The UC Davis College Corps also award­ed $66,000 in grants to 12 community partners for volunteer engage­ment and training.

Year One Accomplishments

  • Established Advisory Committees related to student learning and community engagement with 21 representatives from various colleges, schools, centers and institutes, and non-university organizations.
  • Created a web-based portal for engaged scholarship and engaged learning, tracking existing activity and connecting UC Davis with community organizations.
  • Collaborated in the creation and launch of a UC Davis facility in Sacramento, opening doors to the Launch Space at Aggie Square, which is designed to support engagement initiatives and projects with non-university partners.
  • Launched the Public Scholarship Faculty Fellows program to recruit a cohort of 12 faculty interested in translating their engaged research and practices into academic publications.
  • Established a Community Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows program with a cohort of eight faculty working to create and improve community-based student learning experiences.
  • Developed 10 pilot projects to support UC Davis colleges, schools, and other academic units to initiate seed and bridge grants, and to examine course attributes for community engagement.
  • Co-sponsored 10 events and workshops with faculty, staff and students, with topics ranging from building community engaged scholarship to supporting underrepresented minorities in the healthcare workforce.
  • Co-sponsored and co-convened the first symposium on experiential learning at UC Davis.
  • Identified more than 450 UC Davis programs and initiatives serving communities in Sacramento and Yolo counties.
  • Supported a university-wide taskforce exploring ways to achieve greater recognition of public scholarship, which submitted its recommendations report in May 2020.

Roots of Engagement

As we reflect on the milestones of PSE’s first five years, it is important to recognize the rich history of community engagement at UC Davis that paved the way for our founding.

The university’s commitment to engagement dates to its origin as the University Farm, an agricultural branch of UC Berkeley offering short courses for farmers. UC Davis was established as an independent university in 1959, with a land-grant mission of providing accessible education and public service through programs like cooperative extension. The 1960s and 1970s saw the founding of ethnic studies programs, expanding access to higher education for students of color and integrating community knowledge into academia.

Building on this momentum, the 1980s and 1990s brought national attention to the need for broader definitions of scholarship. UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef participated in discussions that challenged traditional academic frameworks, promoting the inclusion of public scholarship. These efforts, however, faced setbacks during the early 2000s due to funding declines caused by the Great Recession.

In 2011, in response to calls from the campus community to foster greater civic dialogue in the aftermath of students being pepper-sprayed by campus police, UC Davis renewed its commitment to community engagement. Provost Ralph Hexter, in partnership with faculty, instituted the Provost’s Forum on the Public University and the Social Good. This initiative led to the formation of Communities and Scholars Engaged (CASE), which produced a white paper highlighting the value of engaged scholarship and recommending support strategies.

During this period, a campus committee chaired by Dennis Pendleton issued a report, Community-Engaged Scholarship at UC Davis: A Strategic Vision, outlining steps to bolster engaged scholarship. Simultaneously, the Office of Community Outreach and International Programs was restructured into the Office of Global Affairs, paving the way for a more integrated approach to public scholarship and community engagement.

The mobilization by these faculty had a catalytic effect. Attaining Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement in 2015, becoming the host institution for Imagining America in 2017, and establishing the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement are some of outcomes of their campus organizing over a three-year span.

This upswell surged further with institutional investments in a university innovation district; initiation of an Anchor Institution strategy to address social determinants of health; workforce development; and the creation of a Grand Challenges office to organize research teams to holistically tackle wicked problems.

Strengthening Connections

PSE has pursued solutions to the challenges and opportunities that universities face in fostering mutually beneficial community relationships. For example, potential partners often struggle to access and navigate university resources, while faculty face difficulties in finding partners for engaged teaching and research. To address these challenges, PSE launched the University of California Public Engagement database, in collaboration with the Office of Government and Community Relations. This effort improved data collection on UC Davis community outreach and engagement activities and provides a publicly accessible portal for community members interested in partnerships. PSE also established programs such as Community Campus Connect, which facilitates collaborations between UC Davis scholars and communities, and the Community Engagement Collaborative, which provides a community of practice for faculty and staff working with external partners.

These foundational efforts laid the groundwork for creating a shared understanding of community engagement. In 2023, more than 100 faculty and staff from UC Davis and UC Davis Health participated in two Community Engagement Summits organized by PSE and the Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. These events gathered insights on enhancing the university’s approach to community engagement, addressing health inequities, strengthening partnerships and developing shared goals and principles that will guide UC Davis in its continued commitment to community engagement.

Spotlight on Excellence

PSE’s commitment to cultivating meaningful partnerships and driving impactful research has not only been a success at UC Davis but has also set a precedent across the UC system and nationally, influencing policies and practices in higher education community engagement.

In a significant collaborative effort, Vice Provost Rios and Associate Vice Provost Tessa Hill partnered with colleagues from UCLA and UC Berkeley to form the University of California Community Engagement Network in 2020. This self-organized group of community engagement administrators, faculty and staff represents each of the ten campuses, and aims to build collective capacity, share best practices and promote alignment of policies across the UC system.

Nationally, The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) 2023 report, Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good, included several of PSE’s programs in a case study. Additionally, in 2023 Vice Provost Rios was elected to a three-year term on the APLU Commission on Economic & Community Engagement (CECE) Executive Committee. The CECE brings together leaders from APLU member universities who are responsible for planning, executing, or communicating their institution’s work in economic development and public engagement. The APLU recently extended UC Davis’s Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation for another five years, acknowledging the university’s ongoing commitment to regional economic development and prosperity. UC Davis is one of only 91 out of 248 APLU member institutions nationwide to receive the prestigious designation.

Four UC Davis faculty have also garnered international recognition for their community engagement work from the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE). All have received support through PSE’s grants and fellowships. Additionally, Vice Provost Rios was elected to the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship in 2024.

Realizing the Vision

The first five years of the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement at UC Davis exemplifies the power of collective action, resilience and a shared commitment to the greater good. As PSE continues to grow and evolve, we remain committed to fostering a culture of engagement at UC Davis.

In January 2024, PSE launched Catalyzing Impact, a multi-year initiative to document and assess public impact, community partnerships and engagement activities working toward the milestone of Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Reclassification in 2026. These efforts will build the infrastructure and mechanisms for ongoing data collection, assessment and communication of public impact. The goals include the adoption and integration of partnership tracking and mapping software; an internal data dashboard that addresses student outcomes, faculty research, and institutional investments; communications that highlight the value of UC Davis public impact and community engagement efforts; a systematic approach for collecting and listening to faculty, staff, student and community partner feedback; and a strategy for sustainable investment in understanding and evaluating public impact and community partnerships at UC Davis.

As we look ahead, PSE’s commitment to public scholarship will continue to evolve, driven by the principles of inclusivity, innovation and sustainable relationships. The strategic initiatives and partnerships outlined in this history underscore a shared vision for the future — one where the university and community partners work hand in hand to create meaningful change, empower future leaders and enhance the collective well-being of society. With a strong foundation laid and a clear path forward, UC Davis is poised to further its legacy of excellence in public scholarship and engagement, making a lasting impact both locally and globally.