Action Item 5:5 Communications between central and distributed IT staff should continue to be strengthened. ITS should develop programs that provide improved communication and coordination between the key providers of IT support at UK in a leveraged support model. A strong distributed support model relies upon connections to central IT. In order to reduce redundancies, provide first-rate customer support, and mitigate strains between distributed departmental support and ITS, mechanisms for effective communication must be in place. Central IT must be responsive to the challenges facing college/department support personnel, and distributed support personnel must be informed of what institutional changes and policies will impact them. Action Item 5:6 Continue to support mechanisms for sharing IT related advances, innovations, and best practices across the University. Symposium and technology fairs provide valuable opportunities for sharing IT innovations that may be replicated University-wide. Such events also promote advancement through individual recognition and feedback on emerging practices. The University should convene appropriate stakeholders to discuss means on which to expand such events so that advances and best practices can be shared more broadly across the enterprise. RECOMMENDATION 5: GOVERNANCE & COMMUNICATION The University should cultivate engaging, active, and impactful communication methods as well as establish a strategic IT governance structure. These will enable continued engagement of the University community in the creation and deployment of strategic recommendations and subsequent projects, supporting ongoing operation of IT resources. Such structures should expand and transform the exchange of information between the central IT organization and the University community. 25 | EmpoweringTransformation College/Unit: Division of Student and Academic Life Department: University Advising “During the early development of the myUK GPS application, I was a pilot advisor. It was interesting to see how the application was created and the improvements made along the way, based on the feedbackfromstudentsandadvisors.” Sarah Ballard