Strategic initiatives to help reach our goals
Campus leadership will identify and implement changes in campus operations and programs that account for $15—$25 million of the five-year goal at a pace of $4—$5 million annually. Initial efforts are included below. Additional measures will emerge in the coming months and years.
Expansion of the Research Core Facilities Program and establishment of an equipment management program
In 2011, the Research Core Committee provided recommendations for the future success of research core facilities and resources, including cost analyses, financial modeling options and guidelines for research cores administration. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the Research Core Facilities Program was established to address the need for administrative oversight, strategic management, best practices and tools for the management of core facilities.
Learn more about the Research Core Facilities and Equipment Management Programs.
Space Release Program incentivizes consolidation and release of office space
With a goal of identifying approximately 75,000 square feet of campus workspace that can be reassigned and reducing ongoing rent costs by more than $4 million annually, the Space Release Program can make more space available for the needs of student-facing programs, academics and research.
Campus teams who can identify a minimum of 2,500 assignable square feet (ASF) that they can permanently release will earn an incentive of $10 per ASF for up to three years. This would amount to a minimum budget credit of $25,000 each year for three years, which could be used at the discretion of a dean or vice chancellor. Up to 60% of standard per-person moving costs would also be covered centrally.
To further facilitate the process, participating units will have access to a new program called "SMASH the Stash" at no cost, which takes a thorough approach to cleaning out stored equipment and supplies to help reorganize available space within the unit’s footprint.
Learn more about the Space Release Program.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt program and scholarships
Lean Six Sigma is used by many organizations to drive process improvements and eliminate waste. Modeled after a successful program at UC San Diego, Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) collaborated with campus partners to establish a program to train UC Davis employees on the principles of Lean Six Sigma. Each employee trained as a Green Belt works on a project that has the potential to save the university at least $40,000.
In March 2020, UC Davis piloted the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training program. 20 participants from academic, administrative and health departments participated in the inaugural cohort. Projects delivered action plans to refine business process by eliminating hand-offs, reducing cycle time, increasing information security and decreasing unnecessary approvals. In time, these projects have the potential to save the university hundreds of thousands of dollars. Due to the successful outcomes from the pilot, campus will be providing partial scholarships to staff for the 2021 Lean Six Sigma Green Belt cohort.
The second cohort is scheduled to begin in May 2021; information about the application process and partial scholarship will be released in late March. Learn more about the Green Belt program and other Lean Six Sigma training opportunities available through CPE and the Office of Business Transformation.