Small Group Discussion - Group 3
Recorder: Marsh

Group 3 approached the SWOT analysis from a different perspective.

We outlined 5 goals for UCDavis support of K-12 education followed by an assessment of campus strengths and weakness with respect to each goal.

Goal 1. To bring the extensive knowledge base of the university faculty to the K-12 classroom.

Strengths:

1. Breadth of knowledge across disciplines and fields.

   Weaknesses:

   1. Current faculty reward system may not adequately recognize the involvement of faculty in K-12 education.
      
   2. This severely limits the pool of faculty who might effectively contribute to this effort.

      Goal 2: To develop ways within the faculty reward system to validate the involvement of UCD faculty in K-12 initiatives.
      

      Strengths:

      1. UCD has strong current examples of successful faculty involvement in K-12 in the Subject Matter Projects and Teacher Education that encompass both research and practice.

         Weaknesses:

         1. Lack of consensus about the role of K-12 involvement within the faculty reward system and how to accommodate it.

            Goal 3. Facilitate 2-way communication between the organizational culture of the University and K-12.

            Strengths:

            1. We have a small core of faculty experienced in bridging the organizational cultures.

               Weaknesses:

               1. Lack of opportunity on the part of most faculty to gain an understanding of the K-12 organizational culture, and both the expertise and problems that currently exist in the knowledge on the part of the University of the organizational culture, problems and expertise that exists in the public schools

                  Goal 4: To encourage the involvement of faculty, staff, students, and administrator in K-12 initiatives.

                  Strengths:

                  1. Current UCD programs including Early Academic Outreach, Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search serve thousands of students in our region with great success.
                     
                  2. Involvement of ASUCD in this campus outreach effort
                     
                  3. Large reserve of untapped resources among UCD administrators, staff, faculty, students.

                     Weakness:

                     1. No existing way to coordinate the systematic involvement of UCD personnel in the schools.

                        Goal 5: To expand the pool of professional educators--elementary and secondary teachers and other educational professionals --from the UCD undergraduate population.

                        Strengths:

                        1. UCD educates the elite of the CA undergraduate population.
                           
                        2. There is a high demand for K-12 educators
                           
                        3. Respected teacher education program with highly sought after graduates

                           Weaknesses:

                           1. Absence of campus validation of the importance of K-12 careers as a profession
                              
                           2. No campus wide effort to promote, and encourage undergraduates to pursue K-12 education as a profession

                              Goal 6: To serve as a resource to legislators and policy makers by providing relevant empirical research that can inform and shape statewide educational policy.

                              Strengths:

                              1. Faculty expertise in important educational issues
                                 
                              2. Language Minority Research Institute and Institute for Governmental Affairs housed on the UCD campus
                                 
                              3. Land Grant Mission of the UC system
                                 
                              4. Proximity to policy makers in Sacramento

                                 Weakness

                                 1. No current Campus focus on a broad set of educational policy issues.