A Living Legacy: UC Davis Marks 35 Years of the Principles of Community

In a small conference room on the UC Davis campus in 1990, a group of students, staff, faculty and administrators gathered around a table and started discussing the language of a bold new statement. It wasn't a policy. It wasn’t a legal debate. But for Andrea Gaytan ’92, then an undergraduate representative with ASUCD, the work felt urgent.

The result of those conversations was the UC Davis Principles of Community, a values-based declaration that affirms “the dignity inherent in all of us.”

Now celebrating its 35th anniversary during the 2024–25 academic year, the Principles have become a foundational part of the university’s identity—shaping the university culture, inspiring similar efforts across the country and reminding Aggies of the shared responsibility they hold to one another.

For Gaytan and fellow alum Mikael Villalobos ’93, M.A. ’97, Ed.D. ’07, the Principles are more than a statement. They’re a calling. Both were UC Davis undergraduates when the document was drafted, and both have dedicated their careers to advancing its ideals.

Looking back, they see how a single idea grew from grassroots conversations into a defining ethos for the university.

Student roots, lasting impact

The conversations that eventually led to the Principles of Community began not in an administrative boardroom, but in residence halls. Staff in Student Housing had started drafting a set of values to guide inclusive living environments in the late 1980s. Those ideas soon spread university wide.

Students pushing for change in the late 1980s and early 1990s were responding not only to the social climate of the times, but also to the evolving face of the student body itself. Between 1990 and 1994, the number of students identifying as American Indian, Asian, Black, Chicano, East Indian, Filipino, or Latino increased by 16 percent, rising from 7,388 to 8,598. By fall 1994, nonwhite ethnic students comprised more than 45 percent of undergraduates, marking the most diverse student body in UC Davis history at that time.

“We were growing in our diversity,” Villalobos recalled. “And there was a real need for the university to respond to that—not just to celebrate it, but to make sure students felt like they belonged.”

For many students, including Villalobos, the Principles of Community and the eventual creation of the Cross Cultural Center were part of a broader call to ensure the university’s culture reflected its increasingly multicultural student population.

“The impetus was about recognition,” he said. “That our experiences mattered, and that the university needed to work for all of us—not just in access, but in inclusion.”

Villalobos, now associate chief diversity officer in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, remembers being drawn into informal student discussions in the lounges of Reagan Hall and other campus spaces.

“There were a lot of courageous student leaders at the forefront,” Villalobos said. “I didn’t see myself as one of them, but their example showed me how even small acts of engagement—attending a discussion, asking a question—can lead to meaningful change.”

While Villalobos found inspiration in others’ leadership, Gaytan was helping write the statement itself. She served on the original intersegmental committee that drafted the document, one of the few—if not only—students at the table. The experience was eye-opening.

“It was my inauguration into leadership,” said Gaytan, now chief of staff in Global Affairs. “I saw how hard it was to bridge very different constituencies. It was the first time I saw how slow and messy change could be—but also how powerful.”

She still remembers the line that resonates most: We affirm the dignity inherent in all of us.

“That line gets me emotional,” she said. “It’s at the root of why we come to a university—to contribute, to learn and to be affirmed. But it’s also aspirational. We still have work to do to make that dignity a lived reality for everyone.”

The hunger strike and a university transformed

Another important moment of student activism at UC Davis in 1990—which Gaytan was also involved with—was a hunger strike. While the Principles of Community aimed to define shared values, the hunger strike—led by Gaytan and three other students—was a direct call for tangible change. Specifically, the creation of a cross-cultural center and greater investment in ethnic studies.

Gaytan was one of four students who fasted for six days. She remembers the effort as a “huge collective” of student organizers, health volunteers and faculty supporters. And while the hunger strike helped secure concrete changes, it also underscored the limitations of the Principles.

“There were student activists who felt the Principles weren’t enough,” she said. “They were peaceful and respectful, but we wanted action.”

Still, over time, both efforts left a mark. The Cross Cultural Center opened in 1992. Ethnic studies programs expanded. And the Principles of Community—revisited, reaffirmed and reposted in offices across campus—became a living document.

“We’re not perfect,” Villalobos said. “But I can look back at 35 years and see how far we’ve come. That slow progress, those small dents in the system—they matter.”

From aspiration to ethos

Today, the Principles of Community are far more than framed posters in Raft Hall. They’re cited in syllabi and strategic plans, displayed on orientation materials and quoted at commencements. For many, they’ve become a reason to choose UC Davis.

“I’ve met students who say they came to Davis because of the Principles,” Gaytan said. “That’s powerful.”

The influence of the Principles of Community extends well beyond the UC Davis campus. Locally, they inspired the “Principles of One Community,” a shared commitment among UC Davis, the city of Davis, and the Davis Joint Unified School District to foster inclusion and mutual respect across the region. This collaborative ethos also underpins initiatives like “Hate-Free Together,” a joint effort by UC Davis, the city of Davis, and Yolo County aimed at combating hate and promoting a safer, more inclusive community.

Regionally, the Principles have served as a model for other University of California campuses, many of which have adopted their own versions to promote belonging and respect. Nationally, while specific adoptions vary, the foundational concepts of the UC Davis Principles have influenced the creation of principles statements at various institutions, reflecting a broader commitment to fostering respectful and inclusive environments in higher education.

At UC Davis Health, the Principles of Community are integral to both workplace culture and the mission to advance health equity. They guide daily interactions among staff and inform patient care practices, ensuring values of equity, inclusion and respect for everyone are central to the institution’s operations. The Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion actively promotes these principles, working to create an environment where every individual feels respected and valued.

“It’s heartening to know that what started here has rippled out,” said Villalobos.

The longevity of the document, both agreed, is proof of UC Davis’s commitment.

“If it was just a piece of paper, no one would care,” said Gaytan. “But we celebrate it. We print it. We ask departments to sign their own copy. We keep it top of mind.”

Leading by example

Both Gaytan and Villalobos see the Principles reflected in their own professional journeys.

Gaytan helped establish the Undocumented Student Resource Center and once served as assistant director of the Cross Cultural Center. Villalobos has spent decades shaping campus equity programs, including diversity education and bias response.

“Every step of my career has been about making the university more accessible,” Villalobos said. “And the Principles have always been a part of that—guiding how I listen, how I lead and how I serve.”

He points to one line in particular: We recognize that each of us has an obligation to the UC Davis community.

“That’s the line I come back to,” he said. “It’s a call to action. We all have a role to play.”

Villalobos emphasized that one of the most powerful aspects of the Principles is that they are not imposed—they are chosen.

“Each of us decided to be part of this community,” he said. “No one is forcing these values on anyone. But by choosing UC Davis, we’re also choosing to uphold the Principles that define who we are and who we aspire to be. That freedom of choice is what gives the Principles their strength.”

A community worth choosing

As the university celebrates the Principles’ 35th anniversary, Gaytan, Villalobos and thousands of people throughout UC Davis hope the milestone sparks reflection—especially among students.

Gaytan encourages them to find a line in the document that speaks to them personally.

“Let it guide how you act, how you speak, how you treat others,” she said. “And take it off campus too. Let it shape who you are beyond Davis.”

Villalobos offers a reminder that change often starts small.

“I got involved by attending one conversation,” he said. “That single act changed my trajectory. You never know what one step might lead to.”

For both, the anniversary is more than a celebration. It’s a recommitment.

“It’s easy to be cynical,” Gaytan said. “But to see that this document is still here, still evolving, still inspiring—that gives me hope.”