Inclusive Excellence strengthens UC Davis Connections by supporting the networks and structures that foster belonging, participation and shared responsibility across the university. Through committees, councils and affinity-based groups, Inclusive Excellence creates opportunities for students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members to engage meaningfully in university life and contribute to a culture grounded in dignity, respect and connection. In 2024–25, three efforts illustrated how these connections build a stronger university community:
Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (I-DARE)
UC Davis has now expanded the I-DARE initiative to nearly every college, school and department at UC Davis, growing from its roots at UC Davis Health. Since it launched in 2020, the program has engaged more than 1,950 individuals through climate surveys, generated over 400 unit-level strategies, and supported new teaching and student support projects through Vision Grants. Built on a model of action and accountability, I-DARE has become a model for institutional change transforming clinical training, teaching and workplace culture into spaces that reflect UC Davis’s Principles of Community.
1,950
individuals surveyed through climate surveys, 400 unit-level strategies at UC Davis Health
25
campus schools, colleges, and large administrative units engaged in Principles of Community action planning at UC Davis
Participation as Connection: ERGs and Advisory Committees
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Administrative Advisory Committees (AACs) remain central to how UC Davis builds connection and belonging. These groups provide spaces for advocacy, sensemaking and collaboration. Together, their efforts link individual experiences to institutional dialogue and action. Participation strengthens leadership pathways, surfaces emerging issues and reinforces a shared commitment to the Principles of Community across roles and generations.
Building Connection Through Community Networks
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
- African American Faculty and Staff Association
- Asian Pacific American Systemwide Alliance (APASA) – UC Davis Chapter
- Chicanx/Latinx Staff Association
- Disability ERG
- Lavender ERG
- Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian ERG
- Native American/Indigenous ERG
- Veterans ERG
- Women’s ERG
Administrative Advisory Committees (AACs)
- African American Advisory Committee
- Asian Pacific Islander Advisory Committee
- Chicanx/Latinx Advisory Committee
- Disability Advisory Committee
- LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee
- Native American Advisory Committee
- Undocumented Students, Faculty and Staff Advisory Committee
- Women’s Advisory Committee
Alumni and Community: Belonging Beyond Campus
UC Davis alumni continue to play an active role in shaping a culture of belonging. During the past year, alumni shared personal reflections on how their time at UC Davis shaped their sense of community and how those values continue to guide their lives and leadership beyond campus. These stories underscored that connection to UC Davis does not end at graduation; it extends through lifelong relationships grounded in shared experience and care for the Aggie community.
UC Davis alumni continue to play an important role in advancing a culture of belonging through their partnership and service with Inclusive Excellence. Alumni also contributed directly to this work by serving on advisory bodies and committees—particularly in efforts such as Aggie Black Excellence and Avanza—and by supporting initiatives through personal giving, volunteerism, and mentorship. Many members of campus employee resource groups are themselves UC Davis alumni who have returned as staff, underscoring the lasting impact of their undergraduate experience and the strength of lifelong connection to the Aggie community.
Read the alumni story Learn more about Aggie Black Excellence
“I want to make sure students and alumni know they belong, and that they’re supported from day one.”
—Deborah Austin ’87, 2025 Vice President and President-Elect, Cal Aggie Alumni Association
Inclusive Excellence:
A Shared Identity for Community and Belonging
UC Davis formally adopted Inclusive Excellence as the unifying framework for its work on culture, climate and belonging. The shift signaled continuity rather than change — affirming that fostering respect, opportunity and connection is central to UC Davis’ mission.