Dear Colleagues:
I’d like to share the latest update on our IT initiatives via the IT Executive Dashboard and a few notable highlights with you, with highlights provided below.
- The FACET program reached a major milestone with the successful launch of the Bruin Financial Aid system on November 1. This initial release allows UCLA to integrate financial aid data provided by applicants into the new system. Staff have completed training, and preparations are underway for future releases scheduled in 2025.
- The Bruin Connect and Secure team, in collaboration with IT Strategic Partners from across campus, began work on UCLA’s centralized asset repository. They are also on track to complete Trellix installations on university-owned devices for faculty and staff by December 20. Additionally, the team has established a Design Review Board and conducted two workshops to align on future network design and technology.
- The Artificial Intelligence initiative awarded 21 proposals with ChatGPT Enterprise licenses as part of a first phase open to IT Services and IT Strategic Partners. The next phase, open through November 30, invites faculty, students, and staff to submit proposals, with up to 10 licenses and project support available per selection. A task force is also evaluating datacenter capacity to support advanced AI computing needs, piloting cloud-based tools in collaboration with campus partners, and exploring enterprise-grade AI Assistant platforms. More details can be found on the Generative AI website.
- The Google Workspace team is taking steps to remove files from Google Photos and Drive that users can no longer access — primarily affecting alumni, retirees, and most users of Photos. The team is also collaborating with Research & Creative Activities to create a sustainable long-term storage strategy that ensures storage solutions align with access policies and future campus needs.
- The BruinBuy Plus Stabilization initiative continues to refine the platform to improve invoice processing. New functionality has been added to the Irregular Invoice Dashboard, allowing users to drill down and view detailed information about irregular invoices directly within the dashboard.
- Successfully completed the rollout of Canva premium licensing to students, staff, and faculty across UCLA. Users can request Canva licenses through Software Central.
I look forward to updating you again as we approach the end of the year.
Best regards,
Lucy Avetisyan
Associate Vice Chancellor
Chief Information Officer
Information Technology Services
