Information Technology Services (ITS)
IT@UofT Strategic Plan Annual Report 2021: progress and updates
Published on: November 25, 2021
The University of Toronto’s (U of T) IT@UofT strategic plan focuses and guides our efforts to support the University’s academic mission through information technology services, both within the Information Technology Services (ITS) division and across the University.
Each year, ITS releases an IT@UofT Strategic Plan Annual Report to capture ITS’ work, achievements and collaborative efforts with unit and divisional partners. The 2021 annual report, released on Nov. 25, highlights the ways we have evolved our response to urgent academic and workplace needs, planned our recovery as we return to campus and reset our priorities to leverage digitally enabled workflow and business process capacity.
“In 2020 we were challenged to adapt to remote work and school, while in 2021 we were tasked with applying these lessons to hybrid or in-person plans moving forward,” said Cathy Eberts, Director of Enterprise Applications and Deputy Chief Information Officer (CIO). “The agility and hard work of the IT@UofT community has been foundational in adjusting to these times. It is truly a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together.”
Acknowledging the evolving teaching, learning, administrative and research needs amid the pandemic, the report highlights technology-enabled solutions including UCheck for on-campus health check screening, UTORMFA advancements, a refreshed academic toolbox and more. It also showcases notable stats like the dramatic 92 per cent increase in the REDCap Secure Data Collection service since last year.
In preparation for an on-campus or hybrid future, the report also features the steps that have been taken to enhance the community’s recovery experience. These projects include new meeting room booking software, divisional data inventory and risk self-assessment, upgraded core SAP systems and enhancements to the EVE event management system. Data on the latter shows us that there was a 25 per cent increase in EVE registrations since the release of the 2020 report.
“This past year has shown us that ITS has the capacity and agility to adapt and respond to emergent needs for digital resources to address curricular activities,” says Laurie Harrison, Director, Digital Learning Innovation. “Our efforts continue to ensure ongoing instructor support in use of digital learning technology, both online and in the classroom.”
The 2021 Annual Report also features key projects that advance our strategic initiatives and support our core values while fulfilling our pre-pandemic initiatives. For example, as of August 2021, 77 per cent of appointed staff and 20 per cent of appointed faculty have enrolled in U of T’s multi-factor authentication service, UTORMFA.
Despite the exceptional challenges we have faced, together with the IT@UofT community, our progress continues.
“This past year has provided an opportunity to build on the relationships, services and solutions that were established and tested during the height of the pandemic,” said Bo Wandschneider, CIO, ITS. “The future of IT@UofT is stronger as a result of the lessons we’ve learned along the way, and I’m looking forward to what promises to be another rewarding year.”
To view and download the full report, visit https://its.utoronto.ca/about/ituoft-strategic-plan/.
