IT News

Giving back doesn’t have to mean making a major commitment. A few hours, a donation or simply helping spread the word can make a difference and UITS employees are being encouraged to find a way to get involved. UA Cares brings University of Arizona employees together through community service and giving. Some of its initiatives include the Annual Workplace Giving Campaign, United Way Days of Caring, UA 4 Food, the Employee Emergency Fund and campuswide blood drives.

Meet three UITS student workers who help support the University every day through the Tech Zone and 24/7 Support Center. Abby Lefevre, Grant Grunden and Sam Chavez-Hernandez share what led them to their roles, the skills they’ve developed on the job, and some of the most memorable ways they’ve been able to help students solve technology problems. They also talk about balancing work, school and their interests outside the University—from wheelchair rugby and student organizations to mariachi, drawing and time with friends.

The University of Arizona’s new Email Policy was recently approved as a permanent policy. The comprehensive policy combines two previous email policies into a single one, clarifies the university community’s rights and responsibilities when using university email, and strengthens protections for university information and data. Email continues to be the university’s official means of communication to members of the campus community.

University-owned devices follow a structured lifecycle that prioritizes reuse, cost savings, data security, and accountability. Departments retain ownership of the equipment they purchase, while UITS helps manage, secure, support, and eventually retire it. Devices are repurposed whenever possible; when disposal is necessary, University data is securely removed before the equipment enters the surplus process. Employees support this effort by coordinating with their department and UITS before discarding or returning technology.

For thousands of University of Arizona students, the start of the fall semester also means settling into a new home. They connect laptops to UAWiFi, stream shows, set up gaming consoles, swipe into buildings and check whether a washing machine is available. Making all of that work requires a complex technology environment operating largely behind the scenes.

With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, the University of Arizona needs to responsibly adopt and govern AI in practice. The Office of Responsible AI (ORAI) sought out faculty and staff leaders who understand AI’s implications for their areas of work and are motivated to help shape guidance for the university. Potential University of Arizona AI Fellows applied in spring 2026 and were selected at the end of July, including UITS senior information systems manager Matt Stoner. 

Technology is part of nearly every step of the college experience. Students use their NetID and 2-factor authentication to access university systems, rely on email for official university communications, connect to UAWiFi, use software for coursework and access online tools to register for classes, complete assignments and view grades. For students arriving at the University of Arizona for the first time, that can be a lot to navigate. 

If Zoom looks or behaves a little differently the next time you open it, you’re not imagining things. A series of recent and upcoming updates to Zoom Workplace is designed to make meetings easier to navigate, reduce interruptions, and give users more control over everything from screen sharing to meeting security. During a recent UCATT learning session, Malcolm Elliott, the university’s enterprise Zoom account manager, walked participants through the changes, including a redesigned interface and new meeting controls.

Microsoft has updated its higher education licensing model. In response, UITS is aligning Microsoft 365 license assignments with employee job responsibilities while making effective use of university resources.

The university's Space Management and Flexible Work Policy was recently introduced to provide campus with guidance for documenting work locations and flexible schedule agreements. In conjunction with the new policy, the university also needed a place to collect this information which would ultimately be used to help improve space planning, campus safety, facilities management, regulatory compliance, and long-term workplace planning.