The Colorado State University System has recently embarked on an ambitious IT Alignment initiative aimed at streamlining and standardizing IT operations across campuses with the goal of providing a seamless user experience for students, faculty and staff throughout the university system.
The IT Alignment brings central IT teams from CSU in Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, CSU Spur and the CSU System Office into a single organizational structure. As of July 1, this combined workforce of more than 160 IT professionals is working together to support the unique needs of each campus.
Brandon Bernier, chief information officer and vice president for information technology, oversees this team and is the executive sponsor for the alignment.
“One of the central themes in this alignment is that we can do more together as a CSU System than we can independently,” Bernier said. “By aligning as a single team and standardizing common services, we’ll have new abilities and resources that weren’t available to us prior.”
‘Incredible benefit’
This work aligns with the mission of the CSU System and is supported by Chancellor Tony Frank and Chief Financial Officer Henry Sobanet.
When asked about the purpose of the alignment, Frank explained, “As our campuses have worked together on IT projects, we’ve found that there’s incredible benefit to all of us when we can collaborate and support one another. But we’ve also dealt with fundamental challenges that come up any time two separate organizations work together.”
The alignment will strive to overcome these obstacles and establish a model that facilitates seamless collaboration. The CSU System IT Alignment will be an ongoing endeavor, with the goal of making substantial progress by Fall 2024 through a variety of strategic initiatives.
Kristyn White Davis, vice president for enrollment management and extended studies at CSU Pueblo, already sees the potential of the IT alignment at the Southern Colorado campus.
“The opportunity to have so many more resources in terms of IT knowledge and support has vastly improved CSU Pueblo’s IT landscape,” she said.
Together, IT aims to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and efficiency throughout the CSU System, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for students, empowering faculty and staff to excel in their roles, and strengthening partnerships within and across our campus communities.
For further information about the CSU IT Alignment, visit it.csusystem.edu.
