DIVISION OF THE CHIEF Information OFFICER
Annual Report Fiscal Year 2021
The University of Arizona Purpose & Values:
Working together to expand human potential, explore new horizons and enrich life for all.
INTEGRITY Be honest, respectful and just.
COMPASSION Choose to care.
EXPLORATION Be insatiably curious.
ADAPTATION Be open-minded and eager for what’s next.
INCLUSION Harness the power of diversity.
DETERMINATION Bear down.
Message from the CIO
Fiscal year 2020-21 started under a cloud of uncertainty. Would the extraordinary measure of remote learning continue to be necessary? What impact would this have on education and on the University? But most importantly, could students, faculty and staff be kept safe? Thankfully, under University leadership that emphasizes health and student success, classrooms methodically opened, based on data-driven decision-making.
Information technology was there every step of the way. UAIR built an award-winning COVID-19 dashboard keeping everyone informed of the latest numbers. UITS staff kept Test, Trace and Treat information flowing, and leapt into action to support the massive vaccine delivery site built on the University Mall. Over 64 campus IT staff coordinated regularly to solve problems and share best practices to provide the best support possible to campus constituents during remote work and through re-entry.
University IT faced more challenges than COVID-19, though. The most effective way to address the findings of the State’s IT Security Performance Audit was to upgrade security on the entire campus network, including every network connection. While others worked from home, departmental IT staff came to campus to inventory every building. UITS worked on rolling out the security and ordering, configuring and installing new network equipment.
In addition to responding to the audit, the Information Security Office also ensured the University was focused on mitigating the latest threat—ransomware.
Expanded online software offerings supported students and faculty. Streamlined access to campus supercomputers and improved online disclosure and protocol systems made research use of technology less cumbersome. A centralized online contract management system provided University business managers with an all-in-one tool. New Arizona Profiles dashboards gave campus leadership access to data at a glance.
This Annual Report captures some of the extraordinary work accomplished by the CIO Division over the past year. IT staff are laying the groundwork for even more to come in FY2021-22.
Barry Brummund
Chief Information Officer