Outcomes from last year’s IDEA$ at Work campaign are taking shape, as Provost Mary Croughan announced key investments that aim to increase revenue while supporting UC Davis’ mission.

In 2023, the IDEA$ at Work campaign collected nearly 2,000 ideas from faculty, academics and staff from across the Davis and Sacramento campuses for potential cost savings, new revenue opportunities and efficiency improvements. All of the ideas were evaluated in a thorough process led by members of the Revenue Generation and Institutional Savings Task Force, who compiled a report that outlined their top recommendations for action.

“It’s clear that our faculty and staff know where we can improve our work, and I am grateful for your continued efforts to advance our shared mission,” said Croughan in an email to campus leaders on Jan. 11.

Initial actions will include these key goals and strategies:

• Develop new graduate and professional academic programs: This goal includes funding for faculty members developing proposals, staffing support in Graduate Studies and an updated funding model for programs working with Continuing and Professional Education on online degree development and delivery.
• Maximize undergraduate programming for Summer Sessions: This initiative involves the expansion of undergraduate programming for Summer Sessions, with a focus on the creation of new online undergraduate courses.
• Investigate trademark and licensing opportunities: UC Davis will hire a consultant to review trademark and licensing activities and make recommendations.
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement: This initiative will support leaders and staff members in units across campus to engage in ongoing continuous improvement efforts and build upon the existing Lean Six Sigma training and community of practice program.

Initial investments in these strategies total approximately $2.8 million over three years, with a mix of one-time funds and multi-year staffing support.

Croughan also asked each dean, vice chancellor and vice provost to commit to making ongoing process improvements to help establish a culture of continuous improvement.

“I am asking each of you to identify and implement 2-5 process improvements within your unit over the next year to ensure that we are best using the time and talents of our employees toward our mission,” Croughan said in the message.

The provost’s message also highlighted ongoing efforts that overlap with task force recommendations and employee ideas. A new webpage highlights employee ideas for efficiencies and revenue that already exist, with “IDEA$ already in progress” that include energy efficiency measures, sales of agricultural products, improvements to HR processes and savings from space management. Work by members in the Provost’s other task forces, the Sustaining Teaching and Research Task Force (START) and Student Success and Equitable Outcomes Task Force, will also result in additional related projects and investments in the future.

More information about outcomes from IDEA$ at Work can be found at the newly updated website, https://ideasatwork.ucdavis.edu.

This article was originally published on the IDEA$ at Work website.