Looking Ahead with UBIT

In April 2015, I had the opportunity to co-moderate UB’s Distinguished Speaker Series event with Steve Wozniak, which was a fun and insightful experience. Mr. Wozniak is a man of compassion and integrity, and it’s nice to see a gifted technologist in the spotlight. He is highly personable and I’ll always remember his unique stories and observations. I look forward to helping with future DSS events.

UBIT has been hard at work on improvements for the campus community. The three year Wi-Fi Boost project launches during Summer 2015, bringing better coverage to more locations across the campus, starting with the most densely populated areas.

I’m proud that as of Spring 2015, UBIT has eliminated classroom technology fees for student clubs and organizations that are already on limited budgets.

Thanks to UB’s partnerships with M&T Bank and the City of Buffalo, free Wi-Fi is now available along Main Street from North Street to Canalside and the Erie Basin Marina.

Fall 2015 looks particularly exciting. In addition to noticeable improvements to Wi-Fi coverage at UB, UBIT is launching a new cloud-based file sync and share solution, allowing for more convenient file storage and collaboration. UBIT also plans to upgrade 17 classrooms over the summer, so students and faculty can expect to see improvements in Baldy 101, 108 & 110, Hochstetter 139, Diefendorf 5, Cooke 114 & 248 and 10 NSC lecture halls when you return in the fall.  

We anticipate that you'll see great improvements in store for the Help Desk. UBIT is taking a targeted approach based on the institution’s needs and will be offering a concierge-style service for UB faculty and staff.

Looking ahead to Spring 2016 and UB’s General Education redesign, UBIT is working under the leadership of the Dean and faculty of Undergraduate Education to provide a tool to help students determine their field clusters and easily search related classes. 

There is much to be excited about as we look to the 2015-2016 academic year, and we want to hear from you. What improvements or services do you want to see from UBIT? Tell us in the comments below.