Beyond the Classroom

Dean’s Advisory Council campaigns for access to life-changing scholarly pursuits

BY KRISTIN EDE

The alumni-led Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) is defining the future of student retention and success in the College of Letters and Science, and they’re looking outside the classroom to make it happen.

With 65% of all UC Davis undergraduate credits earned in the College of Letters and Science, the College has a unique duty to ensure all students have access to hands-on experiences that complement classroom learning, provide career preparation, and develop critical thinking skills.

The volunteer Dean’s Advisory Council aims to give all students access to hands-on learning experiences — like California Capitol internships pursued by Julianne Cravotto (B.A., political science and history, ’19).

The Beyond the Classroom fund supports opportunities to deepen disciplinary knowledge through meaningful experiences — internships, service learning, clinical opportunities, professional development, travel abroad, global engagement, and field research. Many of the College’s students come from underprivileged backgrounds and would not otherwise have the opportunity to gain these real-world skills without the generosity of donors’ support.

In a 2019 survey* of leadership at four-year public institutions, 91% rated practical experiences outside the classroom — such as internships, service, or experiential learning — as highly effective in fostering student success and retention.

Thanks to the dedicated fundraising efforts of the DAC, the Beyond the Classroom fund has afforded hundreds of students the opportunities to explore new horizons, such as interning at UC Davis Medical Center or conducting family research for the Anti-Defamation League while studying abroad in Germany.

Kenton Goldsby (B.A., Spanish and religious studies, ’20) traveled to Spain as part of his studies at UC Davis. “[Studying abroad] was a great way for me to enhance my Spanish language learning and cultural competency,” he said.

If you’d like to contribute funds to this critical effort, visit give.ucdavis.edu/go/ beyond.

* Ruffalo Noel Levitz, 2019 Effective Practices for Student Success, Retention, and Completion Report

Ways to Get Involved

The Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) is the primary alumni volunteer advisory body for the College of Letters and Science, and is composed of civic, business, and education leaders from the College’s community of alumni, donors, emeriti, and friends.

In addition to the DAC, there are many other ways to volunteer time, energy, and skills to support the College and empower future generations of students. Choose from any of the volunteer groups below to make a difference today. To learn more about these groups or to join, contact Charlene Mattison at cmattison@ucdavis.edu.

- C.N. Gorman Museum Advisory Council

- Earth and Planetary Sciences Advisory Council

- Global Tea Advisory Council n Government and Public Policy Alumni Group

- Physics Advisory Board

- World Water Advisory Council

- Young Alumni Advisory Board