Aggie Launch
University of California, Davis — Goal 1 Initiative Aggie Launch
Aggie Launch is designed to advance the promise of a college degree – a career utilizing that degree through full employment – for all undergraduates.
Underemployment among college graduates disproportionately affects first-generation college students and students of color. As a campus comprising over 40% first-generation students, UC Davis saw an opportunity to approach the traditional professional development path differently. Aggie Launch was designed to address this disparity by preparing all recent graduates with the tools they need to fulfill the potential of their hard work and education.
Building towards a successful career launch, the initiative will engage the entire campus in three key activities: experiential learning, mentorship, and an early connection with career advisors. Using Aggie Launch as a framework, these three critical actions will integrate career and professional development across UC Davis, while engaging both current students and alumni as mentors.
The Aggie Launch Collective began developing programs alongside the UC Davis career center in Fall 2020 and will continue through Spring 2021. Initiative success will be measured by tracking the rate of UC Davis students who graduate with a full-time job offer or acceptance into a graduate or professional school, with the target of having 80% of students receive an offer around graduation.
At UC Davis, we aspire to ensure that our students not only get an education, but also go on to develop a career. Aggie Launch will ensure that our students have access to career training and opportunities by pooling resources from all areas of campus.
Initiative Differentiators
Aggie Launch will involve the entire UC Davis campus community, mobilizing career and development resources to prepare students for post-graduate careers. Beyond focusing on facilitating a successful career launch, the initiative also serves as a tool for alumni engagement, connecting current students with alumni as mentors.
Key Interventions and Milestones
The Aggie Launch Collective began holding meetings in Fall 2020, pulling from a wide array of UC Davis stakeholders to coordinate existing career development programs with the new Aggie Launch initiative. This work will continue into Spring 2021, when the Collective will begin engaging with external foundations, corporate partners, and alumni. New online modules developed by the career center will be implemented by advisors, student leaders, and faculty into the new year.
Expected Impact
Aggie Launch is designed with the goal of graduating 80% of UC Davis students with a full-time job offer or acceptance into a graduate or professional school. By integrating career resources across campus to address underemployment, UC Davis hopes to prepare all students for a fulfilling professional future come graduation day.
