Reimagining the modern IT workforce

“The old model of higher education was built for a society that no longer exists,” said Dr. Chris Howard, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Arizona State University, a Public Enterprise, during a recent keynote.

This sentiment is shared across ASU’s leadership. In fact, ASU President Michael Crow has remained steadfast throughout his 20 year tenure in challenging the status quo of the university-model, much of which leans on centuries old traditions for higher education.

In realizing this vision, the ASU Public Enterprise has emerged – dedicated to increasing access, excellence and impact. Technology, Howard noted, serves as an accelerator to achieve this work.

“We require a new model for operating, a model built for scaling up as it serves more learners and more communities, and solves some of society’s most difficult problems,” Howard continued.

As the most innovative university in the nation eight years and counting, ASU is advancing a multi-enterprise approach to reimagine higher education. This new model for operating, researching and scaling allows the university to serve more diverse learners and solve more complex challenges – better meeting the needs of a world with increasing complexity.

And now, this enterprise approach calls for an enterprise technology strategy.

ASU Enterprise Technology, formerly the University Technology Office, collaborates across the university to design and deliver an exceptional human-centered technology experience for communities at ASU – including students, faculty, researchers, staff and the residents in Arizona.

“We will accomplish this by building a network in both senses of the word,” said Lev Gonick, chief information officer for the ASU Public Enterprise, in his opening remarks at Engage – which brought together the over 500+ team members advancing the work of Enterprise Technology. “We design the digital infrastructure and cultivate an inclusive community to deliver on ASU’s charter of access, equity and excellence.”

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“Enterprise Technology’s commitment to an inclusive, equitable digital experience for everyone, regardless of ability, has had a profound effect on the ASU community,” shared Kathy Marks, IT accessibility coordinator. Marks and her team set up 10+ stations at Engage to showcase a variety of assistive technologies made available to the ASU community – this includes screen readers, braille displays, visual enhancements and more.

Marks went on to share the importance of fostering a community of faculty and staff to be part of accessibility efforts that ultimately increase students’ ability to interact in the digital space: “As Enterprise Technology, we’re not just building accessible technology, we’re nurturing a culture across the university...and changing lives.”

While the University Technology Office has changed its name to Enterprise Technology, the commitment to strengthening the collaboration with partners across the ASU enterprise remains steadfast.

To deliver on our promise, we support and transform services like high-performance wired and wireless networks and next-generation cloud infrastructure. These efforts and the software engineering and data analytics that accompany them inform the possibilities of on-demand support for faculty and students while developing new innovative learning environments.

John Radar, systems analyst for Enterprise Technology, spoke about the various services the team provides: “ASU’s Enterprise Technology brings extreme value to its community through its dynamic digital ecosystems such as Slack, Chatbot, ticketing system, and being available 24/7 for an excellent Customer Service and IT Support experience.”

And at Enterprise Technology’s new website – tech.asu.edu – some of the top service offerings for the community include: Digital Briefcase, Digital Backpack, Learning Experiences, Tech Studio and Experience Center.

And much more. “We have the luxury of building this new model from a position of strength,” Howard continued during his keynote at Engage. “Our success will rest on our ability to provide exceptional service to the entire enterprise.”