As the final month of the quarter unfolds, I wish to celebrate our recent achievements in acknowledging the incredible community engagement efforts of our faculty.
The desire for recognition of faculty contributions to public scholarship and engagement has been a consistent theme since this office was established four years ago. Through our listening sessions, we heard loud and clear the importance of celebrating faculty dedication to this work.
In collaboration with Academic Affairs and Global Affairs, this year we developed an optional statement of contributions for faculty to use in their merit and promotion files. This statement will provide an opportunity for faculty to document their public scholarship and engagement activities. Additionally, the Academic Senate will consider a proposal this fall to add public scholarship and engagement as a recognized area for promotion and tenure decisions.
This year, we also presented information on public scholarship in merit and promotion at the new faculty and new chairs orientations; expect to see even more information from our office in faculty workshops coming this next year.
These policy and procedural changes, coupled with our collaborative efforts, signify the university’s ongoing commitment to fostering a culture that values and supports faculty contributions to public impact.
UC Davis is leading a growing number of UC campuses working toward adding public scholarship as a recognized area for merit and promotion. Let us continue to build upon these achievements, amplifying the transformative power of the UC system. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our shared mission.
In community,
Michael Rios
Vice Provost, Public Scholarship and Engagement