Chancellor Martin has recently called for proposals in support of the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates.

Many of the IT Strategic Plan themes and charters directly relate to the Madison Initiative.

I encourage those who have been involved in developing the IT Strategic Plan to work with your faculty to develop proposals. Topics could include technology to facilitate distance education, enhanced in-class instructional tools and technology training for those who support teaching and learning. The primary focus should be the support for undergraduate education.

You may submit a proposal by following the guidelines explained in this pdf file.

Many of us have been involved in meetings over the last few months that are called something like "Pandemic Planning" or "Continuity of Operations Planning." Whenever I leave one of these meetings, I end up thinking it is reasonable planning even if there wasn't the potential for a pandemic to come our way.  We talk about sustaining our highest priority services, how we can best contact one another, what are logical staff backup scenarios, how we keep our work areas as "infection-free" as possible, and generally how do we all work together to ensure that the university operates as effectively as possible under "special conditions."

It turns out, we have "special conditions" every day.  We have a wondrous mix of campus-wide research and education services, student activities, college and school programs, outreach and public service activities, and administrative services. It is always complex and we are consistently expected to perform at extraordinary levels. As it should be.

Do we really need to be faced with a pandemic to get better organized or should we just let it become normal to strive to do that every day? Once this crisis passes, I challenge all of us to carry on with this greater attention to detail in all we do.  I think it makes our university stronger and more resilient, makes our services better, and keeps our workforce more content.