September 14, 2004

Information Technology (IT) is now under the administration of the Division of Academic Affairs.

The change, which became effective Sept. 1, is characterized as “an administrative realignment” to allow a greater focus on academic concerns, according to Jerald W. Strickland, interim senior vice chancellor and senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“This is something that our deans have been discussing for some time, and it is being done with their full support,” Strickland said of the realignment. “IT is a service unit – an essential one, to be sure, but academic priorities should determine what IT will and won’t do. So folding it into the provost’s office is a logical step.”

Specifically, IT will be supervised by Elaine Charlson, executive associate vice president for academic and faculty affairs. Charles Shomper now holds the title of associate vice president for IT and chief information officer and reports to Charlson.

Moving forward, Charlson said, IT’s three priorities will be providing customer service, maintaining security and completing the implementation of PeopleSoft.

“We anticipate that this transition will be as successful and as productive as the change we made recently with Enrollment Services,” she said. The administration of Enrollment Services, which oversees admissions, financial aid and student records, was moved from the Division of Student Affairs to the Division of Academic Affairs in June.

Prior to its establishment as a separate division in the late 1990s, IT previously operated under the Office of the Provost.

Eric Gerber
egerber@uh.edu