The UC Davis Forums on the Public University and the Social Good

The UC Davis Forums distinguished lecture series (formerly The Provost's Forums) is designed to promote informed and thoughtful dialogue among members of the campus community and the public about the serious challenges facing the public university, ways of responding to those challenges, and how the public university is evolving. With an ultimate goal of helping to produce a public university that will best serve society and individuals, this series poses the following question: What should and can the public university be in the 21 century?

Established by the Office of the Provost in 2012, and directed by a rotating faculty Steering Committee drawn from different UC Davis colleges and schools, the UC Davis Forums series presents about six lectures by distinguished visiting and/or resident speakers each year, often in conjunction with a panel discussion by UC Davis faculty and always including a period for audience questions and comments. Featured speakers may also participate in related workshops and classroom visits during their time on campus.

Designed to leverage diverse and often conflicting scholarly perspectives to inform, focus, and advance the current dialogue on the public university, the forums feature experts from a wide range of academic fields, including sociology, education, economics, law, and STEM, among others.

Regular funding for the forums is provided by the Office of the Provost, the Community and Regional Development Program, and the Center for Regional Change. Additional funding for individual forums comes from other campus units.