Enriching the community’s experience and capacity to act through technology
York IT provides inclusive technology-based service experience to the York community in support of the University’s goals
University Information Technology (UIT) provides leadership in information technology direction, planning, policy development and integrated service delivery for York. In partnership with other University IT groups and external providers, UIT provides integrated information technology services, solutions and support that enable all members of the York community in furthering the University’s and their own academic, research and administrative goals.
People
The purpose of all technology-driven action is people, i.e. the end users. The idea of user-centred service, as well as integrated approaches, is based on this principle.
Community
Technology is also a means of bringing people together and facilitating collaboration. This starts with the institution’s IT community and grows to encompass the university community and beyond.
Value
Our goal is to create value for our community by providing services that meet their wants and needs. Value also implies operational cost effectiveness. In a context of scarcity, this is as much an ethical as it is a business principle.
Innovation
Given the growing expectations of the sophisticated users we serve, it becomes imperative to constantly devise new ways of creating value for them. Innovation is a principle that supports a value-oriented service philosophy in the face of ever-present change and systemic entropy. We believe that innovation must be a driving force of York IT, from daily activities to strategic goals.
Agility
Innovation is not possible if the institution cannot act promptly and adapt to a rapidly changing and unpredictable environment. The term “agile” was chosen specifically for its linkage to a valuable project management methodology York IT can draw on to innovate.
Six sub-departments within UIT work together to provide integrated solutions and services:
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure provides the University with a foundation of reliable, efficient and secure common services and technologies, including networking, telecommunication, server and database management.
- Applications & Integration collaborates with groups throughout the University to obtain, develop, integrate, and support a wide variety of software applications that enable University functions in many areas, from teaching and learning to web publishing to administrative systems.
- Client Support Services engages directly with the York community, offering primary support to end-users without a dedicated Faculty IT support team and assisting Faculty IT units serving as the primary support for their communities. They offer computer and classroom support, and their Solutions and Relationship Managers (SRMs) provide specialized business solutions.
- IT Innovation and Academic Technologies focuses on advancing the university’s emerging technology strategy and AI capabilities. They develop and maintain York’s custom AI platform, CRIA, and provide web and business management services, and e-commerce applications.
- Operational Excellence ensures UIT delivers on its strategy in the most effective way possible, through the effective steering of the Project Management Office, application of continuous improvement principles and streamlining and orchestration of business processes.
- Information Security includes cybersecurity, detection and response, and identity management. It focuses on protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access through prevention, risk mitigation, data integrity, intrusion detection, and remediation.
- Administration is responsible for assisting, advising, and providing oversight of finances, HR, administrative and logistic activities and processes across UIT.
The Service Desk is the liaison between York University’s central IT services and its users. It is your initial point of contact for reporting technical problems, seeking solutions, and making routine requests for services. Service Desk staff are experienced and knowledgeable, and strive to provide quick resolution to your IT inquiries.
The Service Desk also keeps the York community informed of all IT-related developments, changes and events (including technical emergencies, service maintenance and interruptions). Please see https://www.yorku.ca/uit/contact/ for assistance provided by the Service Desk and hours of support.
Our Strategy
Enabling community is about recognizing that only when York’s greater community can use and engage with these digital platforms can innovation and value truly scale and impact the institution. We are committed to enabling students, faculty, and staff to make positive change for our community and the world. The following are some of the critical areas of enablement that UIT will be investing in over the next two years:
- Research: We look to enable and advance York’s research agenda through services that may include high-performance computing resources, automation services, advanced data analytics, and collaborative tools that enable our researchers.
- Teaching & Learning: Our teaching and learning initiatives are designed to enhance the educational experience through innovative technology. This involves integrating modern digital tools in the classroom, supporting online and hybrid (HyFlex) learning models, and ensuring that faculty and students can access the resources they need when they need them.
- Productivity, Insights & Automation: We aim to provide technologies (MS O365, MS Power Platform, MS Copilot Platform) that enable and accelerate personal productivity and meaningful insights throughout the institution. Our commitment extends beyond merely provisioning technology; we will work with our members to increase their access, understanding and ability to leverage these services.
Establishing strategic digital capabilities involves laying the groundwork for new platforms that enable increased automation, intelligence/visibility, and innovation. The following are some of the new digital platforms that will be deployed over the next 2 years:
- Gen AI Platform: We are investing in and deploying several Generative AI (Gen AI) services that will enable us to harness the power of Gen AI. These platforms will support everything from automating mundane tasks to providing sophisticated analytics and insights.
- Budgeting & Forecasting: York has an opportunity to eliminate a significant amount of manual work by automating its budgeting and forecasting systems and data. By implementing advanced financial planning tools, we’ll significantly increase York’s ability to perform complex scenario planning and make informed decisions that align with our strategic objectives.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM): Our IAM program will ensure that the right individuals can access the right resources at the right times for the right reasons. Specifically, we will ensure that York’s privileged accounts are protected through technologies like CyberArk and that our legacy Passport York infrastructure is modernized with IAM technologies—ForgeRock & SailPoint.
- Data & Analytics: Data is one of York’s greatest assets, and we are committed to enabling York to harvest value from it. Our data and analytics investments will focus on expanding our analytics and government reporting infrastructure, supporting data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency while removing technical debt.
Ensuring a solid core requires fortifying the foundational elements established to support our technological ecosystem. The following are some of the critical areas of York’s digital core that will be invested in over the next two years:
- Service Availability & Responsiveness: We aim to ensure that UIT services are available and responsive. This means maintaining high uptime, quickly resolving issues, and continuously improving our service delivery to meet our users’ evolving needs. In addition to targeted service improvements, York will complete IT service harmonization activities across the institution and improve monitoring and reporting.
- Modern Digital Infrastructure: A modern digital infrastructure is the backbone of our operations. We are committed to upgrading our infrastructure to be more resilient, scalable, and secure. This includes investing in cloud technologies, enhancing our network capabilities, and modernizing legacy solutions and platforms across the portfolio.
- Strong Security Posture: In today’s world, security cannot be an afterthought. We are enhancing our security measures to protect our data, systems, and users from threats. This involves expanding our security awareness and phishing campaigns, reducing areas of vulnerability and risk, and automating, where possible, our responses to ever-evolving threats.
- Strong Teams: Our people are our greatest asset. We are dedicated to building strong teams through continuous training, fostering social activities that build camaraderie, and recognizing our team members’ hard work and achievements. A motivated and skilled workforce is vital to our continued success.
Our commitment to financial stewardship upholds our three strategic pillars. With a complex economic situation on the horizon, we need to ensure we manage our resources wisely and make strategic investments that deliver undeniable value. We will continue to be good fiscal stewards and ensure the sustainability and growth of our initiatives.
Who’s Who in UIT
See the departments and people who comprise University Information Technology (UIT) in the York Atlas Directory.