Across UC Davis, Inclusive Excellence helps create spaces where people can listen, reflect and sometimes disagree — always grounded in the Principles of Community, which call for dignity and respect in every interaction. Through dialogue, storytelling and the arts, Inclusive Excellence engages, equips, empowers and elevates its community. In 2024–25, several efforts illustrated how expression and understanding come to life:
Dynamic Discussions:
Creating Space for Dialogue Across Difference
UC Davis launched Dynamic Discussions, a new initiative and online hub designed to support dialogue across differences and provide tools for navigating polarization. Through moderated conversations, expert speakers and curated resources, the series addressed topics of national and global relevance. The effort proved valuable in strengthening participants’ confidence in engaging respectfully with complex and contested issues.
Addressing Antisemitism and Islamophobia
Inclusive Excellence and partners at UC Davis Health created space for balanced and engaged discussions on both antisemitism and Islamophobia. Through faculty-led courses, public events and structured dialogues, the university examined the historical roots, contemporary manifestations and real-world impacts of these forms of hate. These conversations emphasized scholarly rigor, empathy and mutual understanding, reinforcing UC Davis’s commitment to confronting bias while upholding dignity and respect for all communities.
Building Psychological Safety in Polarizing Times
In a widely read reflection, Dr. Hendry Ton shared strategies for fostering psychological safety during moments of heightened tension. Drawing on his experience in health equity and leadership, Ton emphasized compassionate listening, humility and shared responsibility as essential tools for engaging across differences and offered practical guidance for classrooms, workplaces and clinical environments alike.
Healing and Belonging in Health Settings
At UC Davis Health, the Truth, Community Healing and Transformation Center and the Belonging and Inclusion Huddle Program provide structured spaces for reflection, dialogue and healing. Together, these efforts support healthcare teams in processing difficult experiences, strengthening trust and reinforcing values of dignity and respect — demonstrating how expression and understanding are foundational to both wellbeing and patient care.
Inspiration in the Arts
Through sponsorship of Inspiration in the Arts, Inclusive Excellence elevated creative expression as a catalyst for connection and reflection. Performances, exhibits and artist-led conversations invited the university community to explore topics of identity, history and cultural understanding through visual and performing arts showing how creativity can open doors to understanding that sometimes dialogue alone cannot.