The campus is preparing to welcome thousands of admitted students for Decision UC Davis, which gives them the opportunity to learn more about the university as they consider whether to accept offers of admission and enroll.

The first Decision UC Davis, for admitted freshmen and their families, will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this Saturday (April 8). About 6,000 people are expected.

Decision UC Davis for transfer students is expected to draw about 3,500 people on Friday, May 12. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

UC Davis Library has new website

The UC Davis Library has launched a new website to help you find the information you need more quickly. The launch also comes with a new name: The UC Davis University Library is now simply the UC Davis Library.

Search is now front and center on the library’s home page, allowing users to choose between searching the books, journals and media in the library catalog; the catalog for the entire UC system; and the library guides, services, people and news described on the site.

The new site also spotlights the librarians and other experts who are available to support students, faculty and researchers with their work.

“We want all of our users, particularly students, to feel comfortable reaching out to us or help, so we’ve used a number of new tools on our website to allow people to get to know us better,” said Amy Azzarito, the library’s assistant director of online strategy, who led the website redesign project. The site now includes staff photos and bios, and will feature an ongoing question-and-answer series called “Meet the Team” on the home page. 

The Services page offers one-stop-shopping for everything the library has to offer — from workshops, to support with copyright and publishing agreements, to one-on-one consultations with subject specialists and experts in GIS, data management, digital scholarship and more.

Finally, the site provides more avenues for the library’s experts to curate resources from the library’s own collections and beyond, and make these resources easier to discover. For example, subject specialist Jennifer Harbster has blogge about astronomy YouTube playlists and science Instagram accounts to follow — lending her expertise to students looking for help when navigating the vast online universe.

Welcome to Mrak Hall!

UC Davis has added a reception desk in the lobby of Mrak Hall, on a trial basis, to serve students, staff and faculty visitors to the building, and campus visitors, too.

The reception desk creates a welcoming environment in Mrak Hall, as similar services have done elsewhere on campus, said Sonja Colbert, executive officer in the Office of the Provost. The receptionist directs visitors to specific offices in Mrak and to places elsewhere on campus, and answers general questions about UC Davis.

The desk is actually a counter under the lobby’s grand staircase; the counter, which has a roll-up window, formerly served as an information desk for Undergraduate Admissions. Hours are 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).

Cynthia Crestmore, a temporary employee who is filling the receptionist’s post until the end of May, said she often redirects visitors who may have missed the Welcome Center on their way in. Other frequent questions (and her answers) have to do with lost and found (see the Police Department’s Lost and Found webpage) or a good place to eat (she recommends the Coffee House).

A former substitute teacher, Crestmore said she enjoys waving to groups of children touring campus — especially the younger ones, who are more apt to wave back.

Police offers tips in wake of car burglaries

UC Davis police reported that two cars were burglarized while parked on campus over the weekend. In both cases, thieves broke windows and took valuable items that had been left in plain sight, officers said.

Police offers these basic steps you should take to protect your property: Park in a well-lit area, and if you do leave items such as wallets, cell phones, cameras or laptops in your car, place them out of sight in the trunk or glove compartment.

Please report suspicious activity by calling 530-754-COPS (2677). The Police Department has an online system for taking crime reports.

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