Small Group Discussion - Group 2
Recorder: Ted Bradshaw

SWOT analysis of campus doing outreach for business and economic development

Strengths and Opportunities for economic development

The University has many strengths as an institution. It is an independent agency with few vested interests, and it can deliver expertise in many fields of research. The university has a good reputation, and has strengths in many areas that could serve regional needs such as those identified by Valley Vision. Moreover, in terms of economic development, campus research strengths match emerging regional economic clusters. The Davis students are excellent, and 120,000 alumni, a third of whom are local, provide a good base. Davis has developed relations with many industries, is close to state government, and is growing which offers much flexibility. Located in California, the state with the greatest economic potential in the US, the campus can take a leadership role in establishing the future economic base for the region.

The campus can exploit many opportunities. The most significant might be the potential for a center for technology transfer which could be a magnet for innovative university-industry relations. Campus land which can be used to build an industrial park also provides unique opportunities. With the potential for campus growth, programs with a strong link to the local economy could be greatly expanded, such as doubling the size of engineering. The economic attractiveness of the region could be exploited to attract top level faculty, students, and programs. The campus is in a situation where it should THINK BIG and venture resources to become a model for regional involvement.

Weaknesses and Threats.

The greatest weaknesses are that outreach for economic development is not currently given enough value in campus reward systems, there is too little communication about the extensive outreach currently being done by faculty, and there are too few examples within the campus culture of what could be done. Within the region, campus leadership is not solidly linked to regional leadership, and there is an island mentality in which campus members do not venture outside their local and narrow specialization, resulting in the perception that the campus is not involved in the region, and suffers from NIMBYism, conservatism, and lack of initiative. Campus faculty and programs have not developed a strong reputation yet in the tools and strategies of economic development. The region makes some economic development initiatives difficult, such as the fact that this is NOT the hub of venture or startup businesses, it is a small community rural atmosphere well away from major metropolitan resources, and for some the weather is too harsh. While Davis has an excellent reputation, it is overshadowed by several other California universities, and locally competes with Sacramento State.

The biggest threat is not doing something. The potential that economic development outreach might fail is increased by the fact that the vision might be too small rather than too bold, and that promises might not be realized. Efforts that are started need to have follow-through, and grandstanding must be avoided. Many efforts will take a long time and people should not get impatient with the process. Similarly threatening is the potential that outreach efforts linking the campus to business might divert the campus from its key mission of educational and research excellence. On this point, internal disagreements over the role of outreach and external public perceptions or legislative interventions could damage any outreach initiative.