UC San Diego Outreach & Engagement Strategic Plan
UC San Diego’s outreach and engagement efforts have grown significantly in recent years, spanning pre-college initiatives, community partnerships, workforce development, cultural programming, and academic pathway support.
Summary Overview
UC San Diego’s outreach and engagement efforts have grown significantly in recent years, spanning pre-college initiatives, community partnerships, workforce development, cultural programming, and academic pathway support. As activity expands across divisions and academic units, the university faces a timely opportunity to unify its approach, strengthen internal systems, and ensure that community engagement remains aligned with UC San Diego’s mission, values, and long-term strategic priorities.
This plan outlines a comprehensive, campuswide framework designed to enhance institutional coordination, improve operational infrastructure, and build a robust metrics-driven foundation for decision-making. The framework is organized into three strategic focus areas—beginning with infrastructure, moving into coordination, and culminating with shared metrics and assessment.
Area 1: focuses on strengthening outreach infrastructure through campuswide guides, standardized partnership management, shared resource hubs, and regular training.
Area 2: enhances coordination by establishing unified definitions, centralized intake, collaborative structures, and transparent scheduling.
Area 3: establishes a shared metrics framework to support equity, accountability, and institutional planning.
Together, these areas form an integrated roadmap that positions UC San Diego to strengthen its regional leadership, deepen community partnerships, and expand inclusive access to educational opportunity.
AREA 1: Strengthen UC San Diego Outreach Infrastructure
Purpose
Build the foundational systems, tools, and operational supports needed to ensure outreach across the campus is consistent, scalable, and sustainable.
Strategic Priorities- Standardize operations and documentation across units
- Create accessible shared tools and inventory systems
- Strengthen continuity across academic years and staff transitions
- Streamline partnership management
Key Actions
- Develop a UC San Diego Outreach Guide outlining procedures, timelines, templates, and best practices.
- Publish a Summer and Academic-Year Outreach Playbook to support cross-campus annual planning.
- Create a central directory of all school district, community, nonprofit, and industry partners engaged across UC San Diego.
- Develop consistent guidelines for initiating, managing, and renewing partnerships.
- Build a unified inventory system for outreach assets: marketing materials, event kits, banners, digital tools, etc.
- Offer regular outreach training for staff, faculty, and student teams.
Key Metrics
- Outreach Guide and Playbook completed by mid-year
- 100% of outreach units trained annually
- Partner directory updated quarterly
- 25% increase in usage of shared tools and inventory
Expected Impact
- Stronger operational consistency across the campus
- Reduced duplication and improved resource efficiency
- Strengthened, well-managed external partnerships
AREA 2: Align, Centralize & Coordinate UC San Diego Outreach Efforts
Purpose
Ensure UC San Diego presents a unified, collaborative, and strategic approach to outreach by improving communication, coordination, and alignment across academic units.
Strategic Priorities- Adopt a shared campuswide definition of outreach
- Improve coordination and transparency across divisions and schools
- Strengthen communication with external partners
- Align outreach efforts with campuswide access, equity, and regional engagement priorities
- Develop and publish a “UC San Diego Outreach Charter.”
- Create a campuswide outreach request/intake system to centralize opportunities.
- Establish a unified campuswide Outreach & Engagement Calendar.
- Host quarterly convenings to share updates and identify opportunities.
- Coordinate outreach activities to reduce overlap among units.
- Campuswide intake portal launched and widely adopted
- 20% reduction in duplicative outreach activities
- Quarterly convenings with robust cross-campus participation
- Campuswide Outreach & Engagement Calendar consistently updated
- A more cohesive and strategic UC San Diego presence across the region
- Stronger external partner satisfaction and clarity
- Improved efficiency and impact
- Increased collaboration and alignment among campus units
AREA 3: Establish Campuswide Metrics & Assessment
Develop a system of shared metrics and evaluation practices that support evidence-based outreach planning, equitable engagement, and institutional accountability.
Strategic Priorities- Define common outreach metrics for all units
- Establish campuswide baselines and multi-year benchmarks
- Identify equity gaps and monitor progress
- Build a culture of data-informed decision-making
- Compile existing outreach data from divisions, schools, and community-facing programs.
- Standardize reporting categories across units.
- Map equity gaps across regions, demographic groups, and sectors.
- Develop quarterly “Outreach & Engagement Dashboards.”
- Produce annual campuswide outcomes and impact report.
- Campuswide adoption of the shared metrics framework
- Baseline dataset established within the year
- Equity gap mapping completed and used in decision-making
- Quarterly dashboards produced and reviewed by leadership
- Clear visibility into the university's outreach landscape
- Stronger alignment with UC San Diego’s access and equity commitments
- Improved planning, accountability, and partnership opportunities
- A data-informed culture across all units engaged in outreach