Dear Colleagues:
Earlier this week, a Bruin Post was shared about the One IT initiative, an important step in advancing Goal 5 of the UCLA Strategic Plan. Working together with our campus partners, we continue to make steady progress toward building a digital environment that is simpler, more secure, and better aligned with UCLA’s mission of teaching, research, and service.
Safeguarding Our Technology Environment
- The Asset team has completed planning for the next phase of work to help UCLA meet UCOP compliance requirements, simplify how information about devices is collected, and establish a consistent approach to managing technology across schools and units. Following the summer pilot, we are now rolling out BigFix, a tool that enables units to manage computers and servers more securely and consistently.
Strengthening Connectivity Across Campus
- The Bruin Connect and Secure (BCS) team is preparing to unify UCLA’s 70+ networks into a single, campus-wide network. Planning for a pilot is underway for 2026, followed by phased expansion. In parallel, the team is designing a new operating model that defines how network services will be organized, delivered, and governed, providing clear accountability, consistent service processes, and oversight to ensure a secure and reliable network.
Enhancing the Student Experience
- The new Bruin Financial Aid system has delivered more than $116 million in aid to students for Summer and Fall terms, with disbursements continuing as fall classes begin. Preparations remain on track for the system’s transition to ongoing operations later this year. On August 28, Enrollment Management (Financial Aid and Admissions) , in partnership with DTS, launched BruinChat, extending a campus-wide resource that enhances service delivery and can be adopted by units across UCLA. Results from the Financial Aid pilot have been strong, with a 57% increase in conversations, a 43% increase in questions answered, and a 4% rise in customer satisfaction, while significantly reducing after-hours support queues.
Shaping the Future of Academic Technology
- To further improve integrated digital experiences for students and instructors, the Academic Technology Committee, co-chaired by the Dean of Undergraduate Education and the Executive Director of Academic Technology, has launched its work. The committee’s scope extends beyond the Learning Management System, Bruin Learn, to encompass the student and instructor experience across the entire Bruin lifecycle. It is also focused on shaping policies for AI use and retention, coordinating closely with other governance groups such as AI and Data Governance, and ensuring that transparency and trust guide efforts supporting teaching, research, and administrative needs.
- Digital Spaces completed the first classroom in our Classroom Modernization pilot, delivered in partnership with the Teaching & Learning Center and Facilities Management. This milestone marks the start of our vision to reimagine learning spaces across campus, making them smarter, more sustainable, and better connected for students and faculty. We are ahead of schedule, with the remaining classrooms set to be completed within the next two weeks, followed by training programs and dedicated support.
Driving Innovation with AI
- We continue to showcase the AI Innovation initiative, alongside preparations to offer more robust AI tools and guidance in the fall quarter. Efforts are underway to catalog AI tools across campus. This will give a clear view of how AI is being used, help reduce duplication, improve security and compliance, and focus resources on solutions that best support teaching, research, and service.
Thank you for your continued collaboration as we work together to enhance the digital experience for our Bruin community.
Best,
Lucy Avetisyan
Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer
