Report will measure UC Davis progress, bring together campus strengths, and inform future strategies within globally-recognized framework

Aligning with its mission as a public, land-grant, and comprehensive research university, UC Davis is embarking on a ‘Voluntary University Review’ of its engagement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, known as SDGs.

An ambitious set of 17 global goals, the SDGs were adopted by all UN member states in 2015, laying out a framework to end poverty, rescue the planet, and build a peaceful world, while calling for all sectors of society to achieve these goals by 2030. UC Davis students, faculty, and staff are already addressing all 17 UN SDGs in the U.S. and across more than 70 countries around the world.

Led by UC Davis Global Affairs, Sustainability, and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the process of developing the Voluntary University Review report – which will cover UC Davis’ education, research, service, and operations – has four main objectives:

• begin to measure UC Davis progress in addressing the SDGs;
• build SDG awareness and inspire involvement among faculty, students, and staff across campus units;
• bring together campus strengths in internationalization, sustainability, and diversity, equity and inclusion towards the SDG Agenda; and
• inform UC Davis SDG-related programs and projects with collaborators across campus, the community, region, and world.

A Common, Global Language

UC Davis will be among the first universities to begin this type of review, similar to how countries and cities around the world have used the SDG framework and review process to share experiences, strengthen policies and institutions, and mobilize stakeholders and partnerships to accelerate implementation. Carnegie Mellon University became the first university to release its Voluntary University Review report in the fall of 2020. Both UC Davis and Carnegie Mellon are members of University Global Coalition, a network of universities and higher education organizations committed to working together and in partnership with the UN in support of the SDGs.

“The SDGs provide us with a globally-recognized framework and common language for collaboratively addressing global challenges. Our UC Davis commitment to beginning a Voluntary University Review and to further engaging with the SDGs is an excellent indication that universities, in partnership with other sectors and communities around the world, are a critical part in building global and local partnerships to address planetary challenges,” says Joanna Regulska, vice provost and dean of Global Affairs.

Ways to Get Involved

UC Davis students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit information on how their work at UC Davis contributes towards the SDGs, online through an online portal or virtually during one of four upcoming office hour-style sessions.

The ‘Coffee Hours on the SDGs’ will be held on Zoom for faculty, students, and staff to share about their work contributing towards the SDGs, connect with others, and learn more about the Voluntary University Review.

Coffee Hours on the SDGs

• February 18, 5- 6 p.m. PST
• February 23, 3- 4 p.m. PST
• March 3, 10- 11 a.m. PST
• March 11, 2- 3 p.m. PST

Register for one or more Coffee Hours on the SDGs

“The inherent connections between all 17 SDGs give them galvanizing power. Given the recent campus sustainability assessment in STARS, we now want to further survey UC Davis expertise and experience with the SDGs to inform the voluntary review and stimulate more collective campus efforts towards helping people and the planet. We think these informal Coffee Hours will be a great way to facilitate exchanges between our students, faculty and staff are working on related to the SDGs, and to learn what questions people have about the SDGs,” says Camille Kirk, director of sustainability and campus sustainability planner.

The data and information collection will run through spring 2021 and a completed report is planned for fall 2021.

“We are looking forward to hearing from our UC Davis community across all disciplines and to highlighting our campus strengths so we can contribute to a more equitable future for all,” says Renetta Garrison Tull, vice chancellor of diversity, equity and inclusion. “We need ideas, expertise, and perspectives representing all backgrounds to be successful in pursuit of this meaningful work.”

More Opportunities to Engage with the SDGs at UC Davis

• Forums on the SDGs. These quarterly forums are focused on stimulating a UC Davis community of practice to work together and help chart a course for intentional and sustained commitment to the SDGs.
• Conference Grants for SDGs. These grants support UC Davis faculty, staff, and student participation in important dialogues, facilitate global connections and collaborative relationships, and expand the visibility of campus efforts that promote the SDG Agenda.
• SDGs Action and Awareness Week. In collaboration with the University Global Coalition, UC Davis will be promoting awareness of and action related to the SDGs, including through online events and activities, March 1-5, 2021.
• Grants for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals. Each year, these grants facilitate multidisciplinary and global faculty teams working on the economic, social, and environmental issues that are critical to humankind at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
• SDG Internship for Students. Committed to fueling awareness and implementation of the SDGs, Global Affairs created an internship so students could more directly support the advancement of these goals.
• Campus Global Theme. The Campus Global Theme program identifies a topic linked to one or more of the SDGs and engages the entire UC Davis community in related discussion, learning, discovery, and action.
• Global Conversations Series. This ongoing events series facilitates knowledge-sharing among UC Davis experts and external experts on global topics, challenges and opportunities—including those outlined in the SDGs.
• Global Aggies Confronting Global Challenges. Read some of the stories of members of the UC Davis community collaborating with communities, locally and globally, to confront global challenges and contribute towards the SDGs.

For more information, please visit the Voluntary University Review webpage or the UC Davis – UN SDGs webpage. To join the UC Davis SDGs email list to receive notifications of programs and opportunities related to specific SDGs, email Tom Rosen-Molina, Global Centers analyst, at jtrosenmolina@ucdavis.edu.