Vice President for Information Technology Status and Activity Report for June 2026
Prepared by Timothy M. Chester, Vice President for Information Technology (VPIT)
1. Key Items for Faculty and Staff Meetings
• AI Literacy Initiative and Training Course: The University of Georgia is launching “AI Literacy for All,” a campus-wide initiative designed to provide students, faculty, and staff with a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence and the responsible use of generative AI in academic and professional settings. Offered through the Digital Education Council (DEC), the self-paced online course includes approximately four hours of interactive learning and is intended to establish a shared baseline of AI knowledge across the university community. Faculty and staff will receive access on June 1, 2026, followed by student access on August 10, 2026. While participation is not mandatory, the training is strongly encouraged. Participants who complete the course may download a certificate of completion and add the credential to LinkedIn or other professional portfolios. The course is available through the AI Hub under Resources & Tools: AI Literacy Initiative. For assistance, contact the EITS AI Tools Team.
• Updated Digital Accessibility Deadlines and Support at the University of Georgia: On May 11, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that its digital accessibility compliance deadline has been extended to May 11, 2027, and in response, the University of Georgia has updated its own digital accessibility guidelines. To align with an earlier U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requirement, all UGA instructional materials and public-facing web content must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 by April 26, 2027; these guidelines are widely used standards that help ensure digital materials can be accessed and used by people with disabilities, including those who use screen readers, captions, or keyboard navigation. From this point forward, all university digital content is expected to follow these standards. Support is available through training sessions, office hours, reference materials, and the full policy on the Digital Accessibility Services Hub. Faculty and staff who need help or have questions are encouraged to contact their unit’s Digital Accessibility Liaison or reach out directly to the Digital Accessibility Services team.
• Upcoming Changes to Duo Login Options at UGA: Over the next several months, Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) will begin removing the Phone Call and SMS text message options for Duo logins and will introduce newer, more secure, and easier ways to sign in. These new options use security features that many people already have on their devices, 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. Existing options such as Duo Verified Push, which asks users to enter a simple four-digit code after approving a login, are still strongly recommended. Phone calls will remain available for logging in and updating devices, and users will be able to add or manage their Duo devices during the UGA single sign on (SSO) login process. The UGA Virtual Private Network (VPN) will continue to support Duo Push, phone calls, and passcodes. SMS text message passcodes and phone call authentication will no longer be available on July 31 for retirees and on September 17 for all UGA faculty, staff, and students; the changes to Departmental MyID will be announced at a later date. For more information, contact Lance Peiper
2. Services for Teaching Faculty:
• Ally for eLC Information and Updates: Ally for eLC launched on October 15, 2025, to help instructors improve the accessibility of their course content. Ally scans instructional materials for accessibility issues and provides clear visual indicators and feedback to guide improvements. Ally supports UGA’s ongoing digital accessibility efforts and helps prepare instructional materials for the updated federal ADA Title II web and mobile accessibility requirements. The U.S. Department of Justice rule requires state and local government entities, including public universities, to ensure covered web content and mobile apps are accessible to individuals with disabilities by April 26, 2027. After that date, covered instructional materials must meet the federal accessibility standard. Students also benefit from Ally’s alternative file formats, which support diverse learning needs and provide more flexible ways to access course materials. Weekly standing DAS office hours will take place every Friday at 10 a.m. with registration available under the Events Page on the DASH Website. To view past session recordings, visit the Training page on the DASH Website. For more information, contact the EITS Digital Accessibility Services team.
3. Services for Students:
• Student Premium AI License Pilot Continues: The University of Georgia has launched the Student Premium AI License Pilot Program to expand student access to advanced artificial intelligence tools and further strengthen workforce readiness. Beginning in Spring 2026, a limited number of students across all degree levels and colleges are being provided premium licenses for OpenAI’s ChatGPT Edu and Google’s Gemini Pro for Education through a structured application process designed to ensure broad and equitable distribution. Licenses were assigned to participating students in March and will remain active through the 2026–2027 academic year contingent upon active use and completion of brief end-of-semester feedback surveys. This initiative builds in-demand AI fluency and digital skills while allowing students to help shape how UGA evaluates and invests in AI technologies to enhance the academic experience. Because licenses are limited, participation and engagement will inform future expansion decisions. For more information, contact the AI Tools Team. To learn more about AI at UGA, visit the Student Premium AI License Pilot Program page on the AI Hub
4. Services for Researchers:
• Updated GACRC Policy for the Use of Shared AI Computing Resources: The Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center (GACRC) has shared updated guidance to help ensure fair and responsible use of shared computing systems as the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow. The guidance explains that the most powerful graphics processing units known as GPUs, are mainly intended for scheduled jobs that run for a set amount of time, while interactive use should be limited to brief testing or troubleshooting. Activities that run continuously, such as hosting AI services, leaving notebooks open for long periods, or using automated AI tools, are not allowed on shared systems. Login nodes should be used only for simple, short tasks. Principal Investigators are responsible for making sure their research groups follow these expectations by scheduling work properly, avoiding unused but reserved GPU time, and using approved software. The GACRC will continue to monitor system use and may apply stricter limits if needed, while encouraging researchers to work with GACRC staff to support AI-related
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research needs in a way that is sustainable and fair for everyone. The full policy is available on the GACRC Wiki under AI Workflows and GPU Usage Expectations.
• GACRC User Account Verification: Beginning this summer, the Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center (GACRC) will begin a user account verification process to keep account information accurate and current. Principal Investigators (PIs) will be asked to review the user accounts connected to their projects, confirm which accounts are still active, and identify any that are no longer needed. To support this review, PIs will receive a summary of recent use of GACRC resources, along with a list of active grants and related publications from the Elements system, to help them understand which research activities are being supported by GACRC. For more information, contact Jessica Kissinger or Guy Cormier.
• GACRC Helpdesk Access and Support Services: Help with accessing and using GACRC resources is available through the GACRC Helpdesk. The GACRC Service Catalog directs users to the appropriate TeamDynamix page. There, users can submit requests for services such as lab group and user accounts, class accounts, software installations, and general support. Tickets may be submitted at any time and are addressed promptly by the GACRC Support Team. For more information, contact Guy Cormier.
Other General Services:
• Planned TeamDynamix Service Outage July 1-2, 2026: On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., the EITS Client Services team will begin an upgrade to TeamDynamix, the online system used to submit service requests and track support tickets. This change is designed to improve reliability, speed, and reporting, and to give EITS better control over system updates, but requires TeamDynamix to be fully unavailable starting the afternoon of July 1, with service expected to return by the afternoon of Thursday, July 2, 2026. During this time, all users will be unable to access client portals or ticketing features. Testing has already been completed, and once the system is restored, units are encouraged to review their tickets to confirm that all information is up to date. For more information, contact Michael Jacobson.
• 2026 LinkedIn Learning Clean-up: To ensure the UGA LinkedIn Learning license count is current, annual user cleanups are necessary to remove users who are no longer associated with the university. EITS will be sending notices to affected users to provide them with information on the archiving process. The clean-up will be completed July 31, 2026, when inactive users will have their accounts archived. For more information, contact Dave Crouch.
• Zoom student account reset planned for August 6: To ensure we can provide Zoom licenses to all active students in the fall, EITS will perform a reset on student Zoom accounts in August. During the reset, accounts belonging to students will be temporarily removed from UGA’s main Zoom account. Students who wish to keep their UGA Zoom account during the fall 2026 semester only need to log in to Zoom again after the reset occurs on August 6. Upon logging in with their MyID and password, their licenses will be re-provisioned. During the reset, students may lose access to meetings they are scheduled to host, and custom user settings, including their profile and background photos. We recommend they take note of these meetings and save any photos they wish to keep. The reset will not affect any meetings or classes hosted by UGA faculty and staff, including those scheduled with students. Departmental sub-accounts for Zoom will not
be affected, but EITS strongly encourages Zoom sub-account owners to remove faculty and staff who have left the university. For more information, contact Mamtha Ramaraja.
• Upcoming Changes to UGA Zoom Access: Beginning July 1, 2026, the University of Georgia will implement a new Zoom licensing agreement that changes how Zoom access is assigned across campus. Instead of being based on total headcount, licenses will be allocated using a “knowledge-based FTE” model, which generally includes employees whose roles require regular use of Zoom for teaching, research, or administrative work. Schools and departments will need to review their Zoom accounts and remove users who do not meet this definition. UGA will also move to the Zoom Essentials platform, which provides the same core features for all licensed users, including the ability to host larger meetings and webinars. When a non-knowledge user is removed, any meetings they scheduled will be deleted, so those individuals should move future meetings to Microsoft Teams and save any Zoom recordings they wish to keep ahead of time; attending meetings hosted by others will not be affected. For more information, contact EITS Contracts and Licensing.
• Microsoft Purchasing Program Changes: The University of Georgia completed its annual Microsoft licensing renewal ahead of the July 1, 2026, campus renewal date. EITS submitted final campus license counts to the University System of Georgia in May, incorporating departmental purchases using procurement data provided by USG. Departments were encouraged to verify inventories for any P-Card purchases not reflected in the data. This year, renewal validations were distributed through DocuSign rather than email, and departments submitted final license commitments in May along with a single chartstring for billing. EITS will continue to explore opportunities to further centralize Microsoft licensing management. For more information, contact EITS Contracts and Licensing.
• Employee and Affiliate Clean-up Ends June 8: The automated clean-up process for employee and affiliate MyIDs concludes this month. Employees and affiliates who have left the university but still have active accounts or UGAMail mailboxes will have their MyIDs marked for disablement and deletion. Employees and affiliate accounts included in the clean-up received two automated emails to their UGAMail address in May, alerting them that their accounts would be disabled and deleted soon. Accounts will be disabled on June 8, 2026. This clean-up does not impact retirees or account holders attending UGA for a degree program. For more information, contact Kristi Wall.
• Retiree Account Review: UGA retirees can keep their MyID and UGAMail to access some UGA resources after retiring. Accounts inactive for a year or more will be deactivated to reduce IT security risks. Retirees received their first communication on May 14, 2026, requesting that they take action to keep their accounts. To keep accounts active, retirees must log in to their UGAMail account by July 17, 2026. Inactive accounts will be deactivated on July 31, 2026. For more information, visit the EITS Knowledge Base article, "Why is my MyID account being disabled?", or contact Kristi Wall.
• Mission-Critical Systems Inventory due June 8, 2026: The University System of Georgia (USG) requires an inventory of “Mission-Critical” systems every fiscal year, and the 2026 inventory process is currently under way. This process requires the assistance of UGA’s Departmental Network Liaisons (DNLs) to review and identify critical systems by marking them appropriately in the IP Management System (proteus.uga.edu). The USG IT handbook defines a Mission-Critical system as “a system which contains confidential
or sensitive data” or “serves a critical and necessary function for daily operations.” DNLs should ensure the systems in Proteus are accurately documented, account for any new systems implemented or decommissioned over the past year and record all changes accordingly. The deadline to complete the mission-critical systems inventory is June 8, 2026. For more information, contact Ben Myers
• Unified ERP Update: Visit the monthly summary to learn more about the Unified ERP and to see how the project is unfolding at UGA, including a recording of the UGA Town Hall on April 29 and details from the Project Coordinators & Change Champions meeting in May. For more information, contact UGA’s Unified ERP team.
• Fall Biannual Network Maintenance Date Announcement: The Fall maintenance is currently being planned for Sunday, October 25, 2026. EITS conducts biannual network maintenance in the fall and spring each year to support the network and provide ample bandwidth and internet capacity to the university. For more information, contact Rayid Tartir at rayid@uga.edu.
• 2025 UGA Fact Book Available Online in June: The 2025 UGA Fact Book will be available on the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) website in June and offers a clear, comprehensive overview of the University of Georgia’s data and history. First published in 1969, the Fact Book brings together information on admissions, enrollment trends, employment and finances, and student outcomes, making it a valuable resource for understanding how the university has evolved over time. The 2025 edition, along with all previous editions, can be viewed online through the Office of Institutional Research website.
• AI Purchase Program Now Available: EITS launched the AI License Purchasing Program in fall 2025 to provide a centralized, streamlined way for UGA units to purchase premium versions of generative AI tools for faculty and staff, with the first licenses provisioned in February 2026. The program ensures these tools are covered under the university’s data protection and privacy agreements, offering enhanced safeguards not available in individual or consumer versions. It also simplifies procurement by eliminating the need for departmental CESS requests, UGAMart purchase requests, Pcard transactions, and reimbursements, reducing administrative burden and improving efficiency. EITS will contact Chief Business Officers (CBOs) and IT Directors this month with information about the next onboarding cycle, and units must request additional licenses by July 1, 2026. For more information, please contact the AI Tools Team or visit the EITS Knowledge Base.
6. Did you know?
• Updated New Student Technology Guide Now Available: This summer during new Student Orientation, Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) will distribute the updated 2026 – 2027 New Student Technology Guide, which keeps a familiar design while expanding and clarifying information about technology services available to University of Georgia students. New content includes a section on student access to Adobe Express beginning in July 2026 for eligible students, which can be accessed using a UGA email address and password, as well as an expanded overview of Turnitin, a set of tools that supports learning and promotes academically honest writing. The guide also highlights Wepa printing, the virtual computer lab (vLAB), and technology resources in the Miller Learning Center (MLC), including Tech Lending, the Digital Media Lab, and
the Creative Engagement Wing. The guide and accompanying checklist for incoming students are available on the EITS website under Resources, and printed copies are available now by contacting Emily Enelow.
• Guest Wi-Fi Access for at Orientation Visitors: Bringing family members, friends, or other supporters to orientation this summer? Guests can stay connected using the University of Georgia’s free guest wireless internet network, called UGA_Visitors_WiFi. This network is self-service and does not require contacting the Help Desk for a password. Guests simply connect to the network, complete a short online form, and enter a verification code sent by text message (SMS) to gain access. Step-by-step instructions are available in the EITS Knowledge Base article UGA_Visitors_WiFi Network
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