Student Housing and Dining Services Strategic Plan2021

Initiative: Pursue Operational Excellence and Outgrow Our Reputation

This initiative encompasses the following strategies:

• Outgrow our Reputation
• Operational Excellence: Administrative Efficiencies
• Operational Excellence: Dining Efficiencies
• Operational Excellence: Facilities Efficiencies

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Outgrow our Reputation

As stated in UC Davis’ strategic plan, “To Boldly Go,” Goal #4: Support our community, region, state, nation and world through mutually beneficial and impactful partnerships that reflect a firm commitment to our mission and increase the visibility and reputation of the university, and in line with UC Davis’ new mantra, “Outgrow the Expected”, we seek to “Outgrow our Reputation” by identifying and implementing strategies to pursue benchmark programs, become nationally ranked and to find new ways to tell our story.

Operational Excellence: Administrative Efficiencies

On top of our strategy to “Outgrow our Reputation”, we will strive to “Be Better” by pursuing operational excellence. We will improve department daily operations and workplace efficiencies by pursuing the following objectives:

• Regularly assess internal practices through regular meetings and incorporating new technology software changes.
• Implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) that capture business decisions and outline processes, to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Review existing agreements with campus partners to reduce costs and improve services.

Operational Excellence: Dining Efficiencies

Dining U: Improve Dining Services daily operations and workplace efficiencies by implementing Dining U, a training program that sets a clear path for growth opportunities for all employees:

• Update and implement training materials including videos, pictures, and written manuals for each shift, at each unit that clearly illustrates the shift expectations, SOPs, and timeline standards.
• Engaged mentorship program with side by side practical training to expose employees to different functions throughout the dining operations.
• Additional series of training courses including online sessions, active classroom, and assigned reading materials.

Sustainability: As a sustainability leader for the UC system, Dining Services will continue to implement and increase sustainable practices and food procurement for campus. We strive to actively work with partners to improve sustainability efforts and are committed to the reduction and elimination of single-use items in line with the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) and the State of California’s Zero Waste goals outlined in the UCOP Sustainable Practices Policy. The “policy will transition UC away from plastic bags in retail and dining locations and eventually eliminate single-use plastic food service items and plastic bottles.”

Operational Excellence: Facilities Efficiencies

Improve Facilities Services daily operations and workplace efficiencies by pursuing the following objectives:

• Facilities Services will utilize the work order and inventory asset management system to track all preventative maintenance tasks and account for assets and inventory. This eliminates redundancy in inventory and reduces waste.
• Facilities Services will develop a phased action plan for updating the secured access control system for all facilities, including the introduction of “smart cards”.
• Facilities Services will create a short term and long term maintenance and custodial plan to specifically address academic-year breaks, conference housing and orientation.

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This strategic initiative is aligned with the following goal(s) in UC Davis’ strategic plan, “To Boldly Go”:

• Goal 3: Embrace diversity, practice inclusive excellence and strive for equity. Make UC Davis a place of excellence for learning and working by supporting a culture that values the contributions and aspirations of all our students, staff and faculty; promotes wellness and a culture of sustainability; and cultivates the open interchange of ideas.
• Goal 4: Support our community, region, state, nation and world through mutually beneficial and impactful partnerships that reflect a firm commitment to our mission and increase the visibility and reputation of the university.
• Goal 5: Create an intellectual and physical environment that supports the development of an innovative and entrepreneurial culture that extends the benefits of our research activities beyond the boundaries of the university.