Volume 26.9 | September 10, 2026
September Technology News at UGA TOP NEWS New Chief Institutional Research and Data Officer Appointed Kelly Slaton has been appointed Chief Institutional Research and Data Officer after serving in the position on an interim basis since December 2025. Slaton brings more than 14 years of experience in higher education analytics, compliance reporting, strategic planning, and organizational leadership. She previously served as Assistant Director for Institutional Reporting and Institutional Research Analyst in UGA’s Office of Institutional Research. In her new role, she will provide strategic leadership for institutional reporting, analytics, data strategy, and executive decision support. Her recent work includes leading the migration of institutional reporting from Tableau to Power BI, transitioning on-premises data resources to Microsoft Fabric, redesigning the Office of Institutional Research website, and overseeing UGA’s inaugural IPEDS ACTS reporting process. Slaton holds a doctorate in higher education and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from UGA, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University.
Preparing for TouchNet MFA Beginning October 2026, TouchNet, the online payment system used by the University of Georgia for services such as tuition and fee payments, will introduce its own multi-factor authentication (MFA) process for users logging in to the TouchNet application. This new security step will be required in addition to the existing Duo verification that students complete through UGA's single sign-on system. To help ensure uninterrupted access, students should be prepared to enroll in TouchNet MFA when prompted and are encouraged to use an authenticator app or a personal (non-UGA) email address as their preferred verification method. Additional communications, including step-by-step instructions and key deadlines, will be shared before the October implementation date. For more information, contact Kristi Wall.
SSO Updates for Accessibility Beginning September 11, 2026, Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) will introduce an updated design for the University of Georgia (UGA) Single Sign-On (SSO) login page. The updated login page has been redesigned to improve accessibility and usability while maintaining the same secure sign-in process familiar to users. There are no changes to how users sign in with their UGA MyID and password or complete UGA ArchPass (Duo) authentication. To learn more about the update and view screenshots of the login page before and after the change, visit the EITS website. If you have questions or experience issues signing in, please contact the EITS Help Desk at helpdesk@uga.edu or 706-542-3106. For more information, contact Kristi Wall.
Biannual UGA SSO Upgrade and SSO Updates for Accessibility on September 11, 2026 UGA’s single sign-on service (UGA SSO), will undergo scheduled maintenance on September 11, 2026. This upgrade will introduce a more accessible and user-friendly UGA Single Sign-On (SSO) login page while keeping the sign-in process the same; to learn more, visit the EITS website. EITS will not deploy any new applications to production UGA SSO on September 11, 2026, to facilitate a smooth upgrade. UGA SSO upgrades are conducted twice a year, in the Spring and Fall, to ensure reliability and security. To learn more about the update and view screenshots of the login page before and after the change, visit the EITS website. For more information, contact Wes Merrill.
Faculty, Staff and Students Must Update Duo Login Options by September 17 On September 17, 2026, SMS text message passcodes and phone call authentication will no longer be available as Duo login options for UGA faculty, staff and students. To avoid interruptions when signing in to UGA systems, users should confirm they have another Duo verification method set up before the deadline. Recommended options include Duo Verified Push, which asks users to enter a four-digit code after approving a login, or device-based methods such as Touch ID or Face ID on Apple devices, Windows Hello on Windows computers, fingerprint or face recognition on Android devices, approved security keys, and the Duo Desktop application. Users may add or manage their Duo devices during the UGA single sign-on login process. Phone calls will remain available only for logging in to update Duo devices, not as an authentication method. These changes are part of EITS’ ongoing effort to strengthen account security and provide more secure, accessible login options. SMS text message passcodes and phone call authentication will no longer be available for Departmental MyIDs beginning November 5, 2026. For more information, contact Lance Peiper.
IT SERVICES IN ACTION Submit Proposals for FY27 Student Technology Fee One-Time Funding Requests for proposals for the FY27 Student Technology Fee (STF) one-time funding process were distributed to deans and unit heads on September 1, 2026. Units that receive base STF allocations are eligible to submit proposals for additional funding to support instructional technology projects that enhance teaching and learning. This one-time funding is separate from a college or unit’s regular STF allocation. To be considered during the current funding cycle, proposals must be submitted through the appropriate vice president, dean, or associate provost by October 9, 2026. Questions should be directed to Dr. Toby Graham, chair of the Student Technology Fee Advisory Committee, at tgraham@uga.edu or 706-542-0621.
CAMPUS IT Quarterly TeamDynamix Technician Training Begins in October
QuestionPro Training Sessions Begin October 2026 Beginning in October 2026, Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) will offer regular training sessions for QuestionPro, the University of Georgia's enterprise survey platform used to create, distribute, and analyze surveys for research, assessment, and feedback collection. The first training session will be held on October 13, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. A registration link will be provided at a later date. or more information, contact F Jamie Davis.
Beginning in October 2026, Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) will offer quarterly TeamDynamix technician training to support staff onboarding and professional development. TeamDynamix is UGA’s service management platform, used by the EITS Help Desk and IT support teams across campus to manage technology requests, tickets, and related workflows. The training has been developed by the EITS Collaborative Tools team, the Tier 1 course provides foundational instruction on ticket management, TeamDynamix features, customer and technician processes, and University of Georgia (UGA) standard operating procedures. Tier 1 training will be offered in person on October 20, 2026, and online on October 22, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Tier 2 builds on these fundamentals by introducing reporting tools, dashboards, and workflow management concepts and will be offered in person on October 27, 2026, and online on October 29, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Both courses include demonstrations and practical examples designed to improve service management knowledge, strengthen operational effectiveness, and help technicians provide consistent, effective support. Additional details about these trainings will be shared soon with IT professionals and TeamDynamix technicians. For more information, contact Cody Skipper.
Adobe Express Available Free to Eligible UGA Students Beginning Fall 2026 Beginning in Fall 2026, eligible University of Georgia (UGA) students will receive free access to Adobe Express through funding provided by the Student Technology Fee. Adobe Express is an easy-to-use online and mobile design tool that helps students create presentations, graphics, videos, social media posts, digital portfolios, design resumes, flyers, posters and other visual content without advanced design experience. The platform also includes ready-made templates, Adobe Stock images, PDF tools, and photo and video editing features. EITS will begin promoting the service to students in September. Eligible students can access Adobe Express at adobe.uga.edu by signing in with their UGA account using their MyID@uga.edu email address and password.
SERVICES FOR RESEARCHERS GACRC Fall 2026 Webinar The Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center (GACRC) provides UGA researchers with access to high-performance computing, artificial intelligence tools, and large-scale storage resources. To help faculty and staff learn more about these services, GACRC will host a virtual informational webinar on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, led by Dr. Guy Cormier and Dr. Jessica Kissinger. The session will give an overview of GACRC’s infrastructure and available computing resources, as well as explain how to request a Sapelo2 user account. Participants will also learn how GACRC supports computational needs across a wide range of research disciplines. The webinar time and registration information will be announced soon. For questions, contact Dr. Jessica Kissinger.
CHANGES & MAINTENANCES Duo Multifactor Authentication to Be Required for All UGA Single Sign-On Applications To meet updated University System of Georgia security requirements, UGA will begin requiring Duo multifactor authentication (MFA), an extra step used to verify a user's identity, for all applications that use UGA Single Sign-On (SSO). While many applications already require Duo, some currently do not. This change will be introduced in the development (Dev) environment on October 9, 2026, the testing (Stage) environment on December 1, 2026, and the production (Prod) environment on February 5, 2027. Application owners should test their applications in the lower environments and inform their users about the upcoming change prior to the February 5 change. If an exception to this requirement is needed, application owners should submit an exception request to Information Security by October 7, 2026. No action is required from end users, and many people may not notice a difference because Duo is already required for other UGA services. Expanding MFA to all UGA SSO applications will improve security and provide a consistent authentication experience across university systems. For more information, contact Lance Peiper.
PowerBI Migration Deadline Set for November 2, 2026 In late 2024, the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) announced that UGA would transition from Tableau to Power BI as the university's primary enterprise reporting tool. This change supports UGA’s broader use of Microsoft Office 365, which includes Power BI. Over the past year, OIR has worked to move reporting into Power BI, beginning with census reporting. Student reporting was
completed this summer, and OIR is now working on the final phase of the project with HR and Finance reporting. Units that use the EITS-managed Tableau servers to develop and publish Tableau reports for their areas must migrate those reports to Power BI by November 2, 2026. OIR will provide guidance to these units as needed. For more information, contact Kelly Slaton.
TECH TIPS Turnitin Draft Coach Helps Students Improve Writing and Academic Integrity Turnitin Draft Coach helps students improve their writing before submitting assignments by providing real-time feedback in Microsoft Word online and Google Docs. The tool includes a grammar checker that identifies writing issues and offers suggestions for improvement, as well as a citation assistant that helps students correctly cite sources. Students can also review a Similarity Report, which highlights text that may match existing sources and supports academic integrity. Instructors can encourage effective use of Draft Coach by introducing it early in a course, incorporating it into draft assignments, and helping students understand and apply the feedback provided. For more information about accessing and using Turnitin Draft Coach, visit the Center for Teaching and Learning’s website.
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