A Living Celebration of the Principles of Community

On a sunny fall afternoon, the Activities and Recreation Center ballroom buzzed with music, laughter and conversation. A giant balloon arch adorned the entrance and dancers cheered on the more than 100 guests who arrived to celebrate the culmination of the 35^th anniversary of the UC Davis Principles of Community.

The festive gathering marked the capstone of a yearlong anniversary that invited the university to reflect on how the Principles continue to guide learning, working and belonging at UC Davis, while also honoring the people who have helped carry those values forward since the Principles were first affirmed in 1990.

“It is important to remember that the Principles of Community are not bound to a single moment, milestone, nor seasonal event,” said Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence Renetta Garrison Tull. “The Principles are part of the UC Davis Way. We affirm one another's dignity. We respect and connect with one another. The Principles endure because people across our campuses and locations continue to practice them every day in small and big ways throughout our university.”

Bringing the Principles to Life

Inside the ballroom, the energy was unmistakable as live bands tuned their instruments and conversations flowed across the room. Guests explored dozens of tables highlighting programs and initiatives from across the university, greeted colleagues and friends, and signed a large Principles of Community poster as a reminder that these values are shared and collective.

Student cultural performances animated the afternoon. Attendees included campus leaders, local elected officials, and student, faculty and staff representatives underscoring how the Principles continue to resonate across roles and generations.

Values in Practice — Then and Now

Speakers and Performers

Speakers

• Lucas Frerichs, Yolo County Supervisor, District 2

• Andrea Gaytan, Chief of Staff for Global Affairs

• Jeff Heiser, Staff Assembly Executive Committee Member and UC Davis Delegate, Council of UC Staff Assemblies

• Amrita Julka, ASUCD President

• Luna Loganayagam, Graduate Student Association (GSA) President

• Donna Neville, City of Davis Vice Mayor

• Daniel Potter, Academic Senate Vice Chair

• Jacquelyn Ross, Undergraduate Admissions (Thanksgiving Blessing)

• Mi’Zauni Reese, Student Advisor to the Chancellor

• Erin DiCaprio, Academic Federation Chair

• Renetta Garrison Tull, Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence

• Mikael Villalobos, Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus and Community Relations (Inclusive Excellence)

• Christopher Nguyen Pheneger, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement (Inclusive Excellence)

Performers

• MK Vintage Dance Troupe (Tinikling)

• UC Davis Majorettes

• UC Davis Mariachi

• Jazz Ensemble

Throughout the program, speakers reflected on the enduring relevance of the Principles of Community — not as words on a page, but as values expressed through action. That message carried particular weight for those who were involved in the Principles’ early beginnings, including Villalobos who both participated in the Principle’s adoption as a student in the 1990s and has committed his entire career to living out the Principles.

“Celebrating the 35th anniversary of our Principles of Community is a testament to our enduring institutional values,” he said. “It reminds us that we each have a part to play in living out its tenets. Seeing so many people attend — including former students and staff who were members of the campus community when we first affirmed the Principles in 1990 — is a powerful reminder that our Principles of Community are truly for community and by community.”

Andrea Gaytan, chief of staff for Global Affairs, who played an integral role as a student in getting the Principles to be established, emphasized the forward-looking nature of the celebration.

“The Principles of Community event was a great way for each of us attending to affirm that we have a role in shaping UC Davis,” Gaytan said. “Not just by using what already exists, but by imagining and building what comes next. When we do that, we honor the roots of this document, the student leaders who pushed for change, and the promise that this campus truly is for everyone.”

Tools for the Future

The sense of community extended beyond the stage. Guests enjoyed food, entered raffles and picked up T-shirts and stickers featuring the key phrase of the Principle’s statement: “We affirm the dignity inherent in all of us.” 

One booth drew particular interest: a display of the new Principles of Community Toolkit, which any campus unit can still request. The toolkit includes a Principles of Community poster and a Dynamic Discussions deck of cards filled with engaging conversation starters designed to spark reflection and dialogue within departments and teams.

The Nov. 14 celebration served as a fitting bookend to a year that began with the Principles of Community Showcase at UC Davis Health in Sacramento and included workshops, conversations, performances and community-building events across the university.

As the anniversary year ended, campus leaders noted that the gathering helped renew focus on why the Principles remain central to the UC Davis mission. 

“Today’s celebration serves as a reminder that community is something we actively build,” VC Tull said. “The real impact of the Principles will be felt in what happens next: how we continue to show up for one another and sustain a university culture that is rooted in dignity, respect and belonging.”