Dear UC Davis community:
Technology is increasingly central to our university, from teaching, learning and research to administrative operations and the everyday experience of our students, faculty and staff. As technology continues to evolve and transform higher education, we need a strategic vision for digital innovation and technology stewardship across UC Davis.
Over the past year, Aisha Jackson, our chief information and digital strategy executive, has provided strong leadership in advancing our work in digital strategy as well as aligning campus goals and resources for a broad technology ecosystem, including cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Her efforts have enabled UC Davis to approach these critical areas more strategically. We are now positioned to make collaborative technology decisions that advance our academic mission, strengthen cybersecurity, support research and innovation, improve services and ensure that our investments align with the university's strategic priorities.
Building on this progress, I have asked Aisha to assume overall responsibility for all information technology functions, operations and strategy serving the Davis campus over the course of the next year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, Aisha will provide overall strategic direction for campus information technology, with organizational and reporting changes implemented in phases. This expanded and permanent responsibility will solidify our ability to make strategic technology decisions while preserving the specialized expertise needed throughout our academic and administrative units. Aisha will continue to report directly to me.
To strengthen alignment between the campus and the health system, the UC Davis Health chief information officer (CIO) and chief information security officer (CISO) will also have dotted-line reporting relationships to Aisha, while retaining their existing direct reporting relationships and operational responsibilities.
Our goal is not to create a one-size-fits-all technology organization or necessarily to centralize all technology services and operations. Rather, we want to establish a common campuswide strategy, shared planning and accountability, and stronger coordination while preserving the specialized expertise and capabilities needed to support our diverse academic, research and administrative missions. A more unified approach will help us establish a shared strategic direction, reduce unnecessary duplication, make more effective use of our resources and direct technology investments toward our highest institutional priorities.
To ensure a thoughtful and orderly transition, we will implement these organizational changes in two phases, providing time for planning, consultation and engagement with our technology leaders and teams, and the broader campus community.
Phase one — Jan. 1, 2027
Beginning Jan. 1, cybersecurity functions and the personnel supporting those functions serving the Davis campus will transition to Aisha's direct leadership and supervision. This change will strengthen our ability to manage institutional risks, protect university information and systems, and respond effectively to an increasingly complex cybersecurity environment.
At the same time, Aisha will begin providing overall strategic direction for information technology across the Davis campus. Other campus technology leadership and reporting relationships will remain unchanged during this first phase. The dotted-line reporting relationships between Aisha and the UC Davis Health CIO and CISO will also begin Jan. 1, 2027.
Phase two — timing to be determined in 2027
The second phase will establish new organizational relationships between Aisha and the leaders of information technology organizations serving the Davis campus. The implementation timeline will be established during 2027, allowing for transition planning and engagement with affected teams.
This structure will establish unified campuswide leadership and accountability for information technology while maintaining the specialized teams and capabilities necessary to support the distinct needs of our schools, colleges, departments and administrative units. The objective is to strengthen coordination and effectiveness across our technology organizations, not simply to consolidate services or impose uniform approaches where specialized solutions are needed.
Over the coming months, Aisha will work closely with technology leaders, faculty, staff and other campus stakeholders to prepare for these transitions, clarify roles and responsibilities, and identify opportunities for improved coordination, service delivery and strategic investment. We are committed to communicating openly throughout this process and engaging those whose expertise and experience will be essential to its success. The campus community, especially the technology community, will have numerous opportunities to engage and offer feedback during this transition.
I am grateful to our technology leaders and professionals across UC Davis and UC Davis Health for their dedication and partnership. I also want to thank Aisha for her strong leadership over the past year as well as her willingness to continue that momentum leading our technology enterprise and developing a more connected and innovative technology environment for UC Davis.
Sincerely,
Gary S. May
Chancellor