About
The Biology Academic Success Center (BASC) is the comprehensive advising center for all College of Biological Sciences undergraduate students. BASC advisors can help you with:
- Major and General Education requirements and options
- Course planning and scheduling for your first year
- Academic policies, regulations (including the grading system), advising holds, and petitions (e.g., Change of Major/Minor Declaration)
- Classroom expectations, strategies for success and for academic difficulty
- Transfer credit for courses, AP/IB credit, A-level exams, etc.
- Resources for opportunities outside the classroom, such as research/internships
Principles of Community
BASC embraces the UC Davis Principles of Community and strives to embody them in all that we do. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and equitable environment—one that values the contributions of every member and affirms the dignity of each individual.
We create a welcoming and safe space by providing accessible, responsive, and proactive support that honors and celebrates each student and their unique experiences. Guided by the principle of respect for all, BASC serves as a consistent point of access for students to address their needs, questions, and concerns through individual and group advising, as well as outreach and retention efforts.
By holding space to listen to students’ experiences, we work to identify and remove barriers to achievement and continually review and adapt our policies to better promote student success.
We collaborate with campus partners to ensure our practices remain inclusive and accessible, building bridges to advising services and strengthening trust within the campus community. We commit to ongoing training and reflection as we work toward positive, lasting change.
Meeting students where they are, we encourage ownership of their academic journey and foster a culture of belonging, growth, and learning—grounded in the values of respect, trust, and shared responsibility that define the UC Davis Principles of Community.
Mission
Our mission is to engage every undergraduate student in the College of Biological Sciences through proactive and holistic academic advising. We are committed to delivering personalized support and guidance in collaboration with faculty and university student affairs colleagues. We aim to enhance the student experience from admission to graduation, fostering a journey that encourages students to emerge as globally active citizens and innovative leaders.
Vision
We aspire to lead the way in innovative student support, envisioning a future where our team sets the standard for dynamic and forward-thinking academic advising practices that continually adapt to meet the evolving needs of our diverse student body, thereby serving as a catalyst for academic success.
Values
- We value the curation of an inclusive and supportive academic community that promotes cultural humility.
- We value academic integrity, guiding students to uphold the highest standards of honesty, ethical conduct, accountability, and respectful collaborative partnerships in their academic pursuits.
- We value perspectives, practices, and principles as they relate to fostering student development through student-centered services.
- We value and actively promote an environment that encourages exploration and critical thinking, cultivating intellectual curiosity and a lifelong passion for learning.
UC Davis Land Acknowledgement
We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. Today, there are three federally recognized Patwin tribes: Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Indian Community, Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.
The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.
For more information about the campus’ land acknowledgement, go here.