Strategic Directions and Priorities for 2023-2024

 

Update on Strategic Plans and Goals for Academic Year 2023-2024

 

This past year was a year of transition, as the University of Georgia (UGA) successfully entered a post-Covid-19 pandemic era, and we returned to more normal operating conditions. The year was remarkable, a landmark period, as the University experienced many accomplishments across its core teaching, research, and service missions.

• Celebrating seven consecutive years in the top 20, UGA achieved the No. 16 ranking on the U.S. News & World Report's list of best public universities nationwide.

• UGA continues to set records in graduation rates, with 75.1% of our undergraduates completing their degrees within four years and 88.1% finishing within six years.

• Research expenditures grew to $545.6 million in FY22, representing a 10% increase from last year and a staggering 56% increase over the past nine years. Moreover, UGA opened several new and renovated research and education facilities like the Interdisciplinary STEM Research Complex and the revamped Driftmier Engineering Center.

• UGA's contribution to Georgia’s economy this past year was a record-breaking $7.6 billion contribution, reinforcing our position as a major economic driver for our state.

Beyond these significant contributions, it was another special year for UGA athletics, as our football team became one of four schools in the modern era to win back-to-back national championships. The past three years stand as an extraordinary highlight in the University's rich history, and we have all been privileged to experience these achievements firsthand.

I want to thank all of you for your unparalleled dedication to the University's community of students, faculty, and staff this past year. Your tireless efforts enable our University to effectively teach, conduct cutting-edge research, provide a stimulating learning and personal growth environment, and make a profound, positive difference across Georgia. The high praise I consistently receive about your work is a testament to your tireless efforts. I could

not be prouder to be a part of this team and to serve alongside such devoted professionals. Thank you for all your efforts that helped make this past year so special.

 

Key Indicators of Current Organizational Performance

Let's delve into the current state of our core IT services and discuss the outcomes of the TechQual+ IT customer service satisfaction survey conducted in the spring of 2023. The survey data provide tangible performance indicators attesting to our efforts' strength and positive impact.

The TechQual+ Survey serves two main purposes. Firstly, it gauges general customer sentiment, which encompasses the overall perception of the quality of our core IT services. These services include internet connectivity, wireless and cellular access, data access, web applications, collaboration tools, and prompt, courteous, and helpful customer support. Secondly, the survey measures satisfaction levels with specific IT services. We analyze the data based on the student, faculty, and staff populations, and we can further disaggregate it by college, school, or major administrative area as needed. The spring 2023 survey yielded 2,178 completed responses.

Overall, in 2023, students rated all 13 general sentiment questions positively, indicating that the services met their minimum expectations. Faculty members rated 10 out of 13 questions positively, while staff rated all 13 positively. Compared to the 2022 data, there was no change in the ratings for students, faculty, or staff. This positive impact of these data extends beyond our organization and includes other units within our schools, colleges, and entities like the Center for Teaching and Learning. Kudos to all involved!

Turning to specific services, the highest satisfaction ratings for 2023 were achieved by UGAMail (93%), Zoom (92%), EITS Helpdesk (91%), ArchPass (91%), and UGAAlert (91%). These exceptionally high satisfaction ratings are noteworthy. Even the services that received lower ratings still fell within the acceptable range, with "moderate" or "extremely satisfied" ratings. Specifically, the lowest-performing services were UGA Elements (57%), vLab (67%), Athena (74%), and Respondus (76%). Overall, these high satisfaction ratings from end-users attest to the excellent quality, usability, and effectiveness of the IT tools and services we provide to the UGA community. These quantifiable performance indicators align with the positive feedback I have received about our work from numerous sources. Once again, congratulations to everyone involved for a job well done!

Status of Last Year’s Organizational Goals

1. Work with and through the prospective leadership teams and the senior administration to fully develop a plan for the next phase of our Banner and PeopleSoft/Hyperion information systems. Advocate for this vision with the USG and, to the extent possible, work to align our needs and plans with the needs and objectives of the broader University system (strategic goal #2, #4).

Throughout 2022, UGA devoted significant efforts to the planning, selection, and implementation of a shared, cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) suite, aiming to benefit all 26 institutions within the University System of Georgia (USG). Led by a team of dedicated stakeholders, the university made substantial progress in this transformative initiative.

The team, consisting of individuals with diverse expertise, conducted evaluations of cloud-based systems from Oracle and Workday. These evaluations were vital to the State of Georgia's initiative to choose a next-generation ERP system. While the state did not allocate funds for USG's plan in the upcoming fiscal year, the team will continue to plan by actively monitoring similar implementations at other prominent higher education systems across the country and supporting USG’s work to secure financial support from the legislature.

In parallel, the team continued to support UGA's existing systems, including Banner and PeopleSoft, ensuring their seamless compatibility with the future initiative. Their efforts have included successfully completing the initial milestones of the Course in Program of Study (CPOS) system at UGA and an ongoing Request for Information (RFI) process to select a new budget management solution tailored to the university's specific needs.

2. Work with and through the GACRC Faculty Advisory Committee and the vice president for research to upgrade and replace the HPC infrastructure to support the University’s strategic investment in faculty positions related to big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (strategic goal #3).

Over the past year, the University has made significant investments totaling more than $4.5 million toward enhancing our research infrastructure. This transformative initiative was made possible by allocating $2 million from the provost's office and $2.5 million from EITS reserves and salary savings.

Thanks to the secured funding, we could procure a cutting-edge, multi-petabyte storage solution and replace multiple nodes of the Sapelo cluster with state-of-the-art replacements. These upgrades have significantly bolstered our research capabilities, particularly in machine learning and artificial intelligence. To meet the growing demand in these areas, we added additional GPU and high-memory nodes to the cluster, enabling us to surpass ordinary computing power and accommodate advanced research needs.

Beyond the tangible upgrades to our research infrastructure, the remarkable efforts of our staff in the GACRC (Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center) have been invaluable. They have served as trusted advisors and consultants to faculty members and new hires, providing crucial support and guidance. Continual refinement of the GACRC's organizational structure ensures that it effectively caters to the evolving needs of researchers, offering shared, high-performance computing infrastructure that empowers their groundbreaking work. Dean Alan Dorsey will join our staff and begin directing these efforts in the fall of 2023.

3. Support the vice president for instruction as the Office of the Registrar, Financial Aid, and Academic Affairs teams implement the Course in Program of Study (CPOS) capabilities in Banner and DegreeWorks (strategic goal #4, #6).

The CPOS implementation remains on track, progressing smoothly within the allocated budget. The team has achieved several significant milestones over the past year, including a successful upgrade of DegreeWorks. The project team also launched in May the highly anticipated DegreeWorks responsive dashboard, equipping academic advisors with advanced data and tools to enhance student support. Furthermore, this fall, academic departments will have access to comprehensive data reports, empowering them to evaluate and refine their degree programs by identifying and addressing hidden pre-requisite courses and historical exceptions. The team is diligently developing new curriculum submission and approval workflows, with a planned delivery date in June. The ConnectUGA project leadership team diligently conducts monthly reviews, ensuring the continued success of this crucial initiative.

4. Search for and install new leadership over areas supporting faculty research, including the GACRC and HPC resources. To the degree possible, identify a new leader who can bring experience and perspective as a successful researcher into our leadership team (strategic goal #3).

In August 2023, Dean Alan Dorsey of Franklin College will join our office as the Associate CIO for Research after his term as dean. Dr. Dorsey, a highly accomplished physicist, will be pivotal in fostering and strengthening collaborative relationships with the university's vice president for research, deans, and researchers. With his expertise and guidance, we aim to enhance the GACRC's operations and establish a clear vision and strategy for expanding and supporting computational-based research. Dr. Dorsey's leadership will align this vision with the center's day-to-day operations, ensuring seamless integration and maximum impact. We are grateful and looking forward to working alongside Dr. Dorsey. We are confident that his vast knowledge and experience will significantly advance our research capabilities and foster a culture of innovation and collaboration.

5. Work with and through the STF advisory committee and other groups to continue to provide one-time and base budget support for IT services and systems that facilitate next-generation teaching and learning environments (strategic goal #1 #2).

In 2022, the work of the STF advisory committee resulted in the allocation of $1.8 million University-wide to support the advancement of next-generation physical and virtual learning spaces. This funding will pave the way for transformative initiatives that enhance the learning experience for our students. Building upon this success, the University Budget Office has further committed an additional $4.5 million to the vice president for instruction and the Center for Teaching and Learning. This substantial investment will fuel continued progress in these spaces over the next three fiscal years (FY24, 25, and 26), allowing UGA to realize its vision of creating innovative and inclusive learning environments that empower our students to thrive.

Goals and Plans for Next Year.

As we move forward, we must exercise caution in managing our talent and budget across the University of Georgia. While we have made significant strides in strengthening our capabilities, we must remain vigilant in guarding the scope of our services and commitments. Engaging in redundant, ineffective, or inefficient work can have severe repercussions, as it not only consumes valuable resources but also strains our capacity, undermines our leverage, and leads to an influx of isolated tasks that drain our energy.

We have identified priorities for major initiatives and new projects for the upcoming year. The teams involved in these efforts must refrain from taking on additional commitments beyond their normal support operations. This strategic approach will ensure that our resources are effectively allocated and that our focus remains steadfast on delivering impactful outcomes.

1. Continue collaborating with the Office of the Registrar, Financial Aid, and Academic Affairs to implement Course in Program of Study (CPOS) capabilities in Banner and DegreeWorks (strategic goals #4 and #6).

2. Support the implementation of a virtual one-stop shop concept for students through the University's mobile app in collaboration with the vice president for instruction, the vice president for student affairs, and the Office of Diversity (strategic goal #2).

3. Continue implementing the next-generation ERP package for the State of Georgia and develop a business case for a potential similar implementation across all 26 institutions within the University System of Georgia. Ensure seamless operation of UGA's Banner and Peoplesoft applications in alignment with these plans (strategic goals #2 and #4).

4. Implement new information security capabilities and digital collaboration tools acquired through Microsoft A5 licenses for Office 365. Standardize and share this infrastructure across UGA's schools and colleges, reducing costs and enhancing desktop computer support efficiency (strategic goal #4, #6).

5. Fill critical vacancies, including the associate VP for institutional research (just completed), finance and business services director, and server and network engineering director, to strengthen our workforce (strategic goals #5 and #6).

We must collectively aim to drive progress, align with strategic goals, and enhance our operations by pursuing these initiatives. Through collaborative efforts and effective implementation, we will continue providing outstanding support and fostering a thriving environment for the UGA community. I’m proud to work with you all towards this end.

Over the coming year, I and my direct reports will continue to focus on budget flexibility, given the predicted headwinds facing the economy. We'll seek ways to reduce unnecessary management overhead, streamline services, and reassess software and services that no longer meet our current and future needs. Additionally, where possible, we'll make organizational adjustments to utilize our team's talent better and support core campus services effectively.

Thank you for your contributions to the positive outcomes of this report. Despite the challenges since spring 2021, we are emerging from the pandemic stronger, more resilient, and with a renewed focus on our core mission. Feel free to reach out if you need assistance, professionally or personally. Your dedication makes the University of Georgia a truly exceptional place.