How campus needs led the way

In 2023, the first-ever campus wide Information Technology Survey revealed both positive feedback and opportunities for improvement, many of which were echoed in subsequent conversations, usability testing, and data. You asked us to improve foundational IT services like wireless connectivity, reduce support wait-times, better communicate the impacts of technology changes, and improve the experience both within specific services and across our digital campus. 

“Answers to information are commonly buried in paragraph text, sometimes lengthy academic jargon that is more challenging for our international, multilingual, and first-gen students and parents to navigate.”
—Information Technology Survey respondent

To address your feedback meaningfully, we knew we couldn’t fix things at a surface level when there were issues with deeper roots. So, we went back to the drawing board to develop an up-to-date, user-focused catalog of IT services with consistent, understandable descriptions and clear support pathways. Then, with iterative usability testing, we revamped the experience on our 20-year old highly-trafficked ITS website, streamlining it from over 1,200 to under 250 pages. We’ve also started to develop more resources in the searchable, self-service Knowledge Base to make it easier to get answers to common IT questions more quickly. 

Behind the scenes, we implemented faster and more seamless ways of triaging support tickets that minimize handoffs and delays. As a result, we’ve seen significant improvements in client satisfaction, with faster resolution times and more efficient service delivery.

Moving forward

Together, all of these changes will make it consistently easier for you to find the technology answers you need, when you need them. We’ll continue to improve with your input, which is why we’ve built feedback mechanisms into every part of the experience. With that in mind, we invite you to:

• Try out the new ITS website, update bookmarks to frequently visited pages, and note that it will take some time for Google search results to reflect changes.
• Review IT system status and alerts for outages and service disruptions 
• Join the User Experience Research Pool to help improve UC Santa Cruz websites, applications, and services
• Share feedback using the link in the footer of the website or complete the survey emailed after support interactions.