Information Technology Restructure
This webpage is updated regularly and the information posted here is subject to change. Last updated - Sep 16, 2024
Information technology plays an important role in helping the University accomplish its teaching, research and outreach mission. As part of the University’s financial action plan, UITS is centralizing information technology across the institution to create operational efficiencies, standardized processes and procedures, and mitigate cybersecurity risks.
Over the past six months IT leadership has moved on from centralization into a discovery and planning process about how best to restructure the university’s IT services and staff to meet the growing needs of the campus community.
This has been a challenging task for all involved and UITS leaders have been committed to approaching this work thoughtfully and with empathy. It is crucial to thoroughly understand the activities and the people involved in supporting IT operations across the university to maintain continuity in research, instruction, and business during the restructuring process. Subject-specific workstreams were created to ensure the many areas of the initiative stayed on task and within timelines to achieve their goals.
Latest Updates
- September 11, 2024: IT Restructure SharePoint announced (access limited to UITS staff)
- September 3, 2024: August ITR Workstreams Update (posted to ITR SharePoint)
- June 1, 2024: IT Professional Questionnaire announced
- May 16, 2024: UITS Staff Hub is published
- May 2, 2024: First all UITS Appreciation event
- April 25, 2024: CIO Focus Groups with UITS staff began
- April 23, 2024: Phase 2 Discovery process published
- April 2, 2024: ITR Workstreams implemented
- March 4, 2024: A Unified IT Organization
- March 1, 2024: Guidance For March 4 IT Centralization Changes
- Feb. 20, 2024: IT Centralization Virtual Open Forums
- 9:00 a.m. Morning Session Recording (NetID required to view)
- 2:00 p.m. Afternoon Session Recording (NetID required to view)
- Feb. 16, 2024: Invitation to Virtual Open Forums
- Feb. 14, 2024: Campus Communication regarding Centralization of Information Technology Functions
Phased Approach
The first phase of the centralization process focused on aligning information technology job families within the central UITS division. Future phases will focus on further developing and implementing a more collaborative and effective centralized operating model.
This new IT Restructure model will be based on the following principles:
- Providing a more consistent experience University-wide.
- Improving information security practices in accordance with the Arizona Auditor General IT Security Performance Audit.
- Enhancing collaboration and knowledge-sharing among teams.
- Strengthening core IT infrastructure, services and processes.
- Pivoting faster to leverage new technology and automation.
- Optimizing University investments, including streamlining decision-making for procurement of software and hardware.
- Creating new career pathways and opportunities for professional growth.
To facilitate the transition and minimize disruption, UITS has established a phased approach for IT restructure. We are committed to maintaining service continuity for our students and colleagues across campus throughout this process.
Phase 1: Align (March 4, 2024) COMPLETED
- Centralized the University's information technology function and reporting lines. Employees who report to a new home department in UITS will continue to have the same responsibilities for their current college or division.
- Initial IT Position Remapping Process to continue by HR through June 20, 2024 Read more about Remapping.
Phase 2: Discovery and Transition (March 2024 – June 2025)
- Continue to assess and review IT practices, processes, procedures, resources, systems, job duties and role assignments within colleges/divisions and centrally within UITS.
- Use operational assessment to further develop a centralized IT model.
- Transition locally managed IT infrastructure in colleges and divisions to UITS based on risk assessment.
Phase 3: Refine and Operationalize (January 2025 – June 2025)
- Finalize central IT operational model and service teams.
- Continue to iterate and refine as needed.
Current State:
- Inconsistent processes and procedures
- Inconsistent oversight of IT processes
- Gaps in IT professional service coverage University-wide
Disadvantages:
- Higher exposure to data loss and cybersecurity risk
- Errors and rework
- Longer IT support times
- Incongruent job responsibilities and increased workload
- Limited accountability for IT security processes
- Unclear career paths for IT professionals
Future State:
- Dedicated IT support teams
- Consistent IT support and services University-wide
- Streamlined and consistent IT processes and procedures
- Accountability across all IT functions
Advantages:
- Lower risk of data loss and cyber infiltration
- Increased efficiencies in IT procurement and processes
- Improved IT support/troubleshooting
- Continuity of IT operations and services
- Clear career paths for IT professionals
Frequently Asked Questions
IT Restructure (information after March 4th, 2024)
The Office of Budget & Planning is providing guidance to business officers in University Business Officer meetings. Please connect with your College/Division Business Officer, who will have the latest information.
IT centralization aims to reduce University costs through increased efficiency and reducing duplication of efforts. Centralization will:
- Provide a more consistent experience university-wide.
- Streamline decision-making.
- Enhance knowledge-sharing among teams.
- Mitigate institutional risks.
- Optimize procurement practices.
One of the goals of IT centralization is to optimize investments and procurement practices to reduce costs and maximize resources. UITS will work to establish a centralized procurement process for IT software and hardware to ensure colleges and divisions have the technology they need to achieve desired outcomes. More information about a centralized process will be available to campus in the coming months.
If support for the initiative only involves current enterprise services, UITS will provide the necessary support.
If the initiative requires specialized services, a cost model will be developed for your department to pay for the support.
While reporting lines will change on March 4, the role and responsibilities of staff previously embedded in colleges/divisions will not change at this time to ensure continuity of work and services.
In the weeks and months ahead, UITS will develop a centralized IT model to balance authority between colleges/divisions and central administration while improving outcomes through efficiencies and cost reduction.
To facilitate the transition and minimize disruption, we have established a phased approach that will continue through June 30, 2025. UITS will conduct comprehensive analyses of current operations, including a review of our practices, processes, procedures, resources and systems. Throughout this process, we will continue to review job duties and role assignments, focusing on improving workload and reducing duplication of efforts. Additional structural changes may occur within colleges/divisions and in the central divisions over time.
We are committed to ensuring service continuity for our students and colleagues across campus during the IT centralization process.
IT Staff and Centralization
If you now reside in department 9528 as part of the IT Centralization, please send your requests for FMLA and other leaves to Division of HR team embedded at UITS via UITS-HR@arizona.edu. HR will work through the request and ensure that all necessary parties are informed of final determination.
Units have until March 22 to submit a request to remap a position(s). Units will need to work with Senior HR Partners for updated position description form to upload with submission.
Learn More on the IT Discovery and Organizational Design page
If your current supervisor is in the IT job function: You will continue to have your time sheet and time off/leave approved by your current IT supervisor.
If your current supervisor is not in the IT job function: Your time sheet will be approved by your new supervisor—Darcy Van Patten, Susan Legg, or Michael Medina in UITS—unless time sheet approval arrangements have been made within the department you support. Please continue to communicate with your previous supervisor and your new supervisor for priorities and time off/leave requests.
If you currently supervise student workers: You will continue to supervise them and approve their time sheets, although the department numbers for student workers within IT teams will not change.
This is likely a result of your home department code change to 9528. If access was provided based on department number via Grouper, please contact the department administrator who manages the application you have lost access to. The department administrator can contact Identity & Access Management for more information.
Staff within the IT job function whose positions are funded 50% or more by sponsored project accounts will not have their reporting lines or home department changed to UITS on March 4. These staff members will remain under the management of their current department and/or Principal Investigator at this time.
An analysis of IT staff funded by sponsored projects and associated contracts will be conducted in partnership with UITS, affected researchers and Research, Innovation and Impact. The analysis, set to be completed by June 1, 2024, will determine staff members within the IT job function who cannot be transferred to UITS management long-term due to contractual obligations.
Supervisors may submit a request for consideration to the Division of Human Resources. Requests submitted will be reviewed during phase two of the IT Centralization process. In phase two, UITS, the Division of HR and the requesting unit will take a holistic look at the impacted individual(s) to better understand the business need, the work the individual is performing, and impact to the University career architecture. More information about the process will be available in the coming weeks.
Your current arrangements, such as equipment, work location and schedule and existing accommodations will not change at this time.
UITS leadership began conducting outreach on Feb. 14, 2024, to employees serving in IT roles and their direct supervisors if they will have a new reporting line to UITS, and college and division leadership. Affected employees were invited to attend Open Forums with UITS leaders on Feb. 20 and will be contacted by their new UITS supervisor prior to the March 4 reporting change.
Your job duties and responsibilities will not change at this time. You will continue to have the same responsibilities for your college or division.
Your college or division will continue to set your daily priorities. UITS will provide guidelines for technical priorities such as moving certain applications or infrastructure to centrally managed services. Supervisors and employees should continue to have regular conversations about job duties and responsibilities to ensure alignment of work priorities.