I think we all know that the budget challenges that the state and the UW face are both long term and structural. It is a great time to ask, "What is the role of information technology service in these challenging times?" Successful companies all over the globe have used these economic downturns to reassess and position themselves for the future.  Those bold enough to change how they do business have often emerged stronger. It is not a time to panic. Rather it is a time to ask ourselves some fundamental questions about how we do our business and what we might do differently.

Information technology service can be used to drive down the cost of administration; enhance teaching, learning, and research; and provide new ways of doing things.  I would be the first to admit that diminished funding makes this harder, but it also often serves as a catalyst.  We have some time before the new budget year starts. Let's take that time to examine how we do IT service as a campus and prepare to make some fundamental changes.

 We won't succeed if we focus on one unit, one school, or one college. We must open ourselves up to take on this challenge as a campus.

 This will require leadership and courage from all of us, but I firmly believe we can come out of this budget downturn stronger than we are now.