Strategic
Pillars
Nine pillars guide ET's investment, staffing, and partnership decisions — driving scalable growth, enhancing digital experiences, and delivering the common-good services the Longhorn community depends on.
Our future vision
Enterprise Technology is committed to driving scalable growth, enhancing digital experiences and operational efficiency, and unifying common-good services for the University. These nine pillars translate that vision into accountable, measurable commitments for FY 2025–2026.
Aligned to UT's 2030 Plan
Each pillar maps to one or more goals of the University's institutional strategic plan, ensuring ET's investments advance UT's academic, research, and operational mission.
Governed by ETEC
The Enterprise Technology Executive Committee reviews progress quarterly. Portfolio-level trade-offs and funding reallocations surface through formal governance, not unilateral decisions.
Measured & Reported
Each pillar carries defined OKRs and leading indicators. Progress is tracked in ET's quarterly performance dashboard and reported at semi-annual Leadership Council briefings.
Where we're investing
Nine strategic pillars — each with key investments, expected outcomes, and current progress as of Q2 FY26.
Building Strong Foundations for a Digital Campus
Deliver reliable, scalable technology infrastructure that underpins every academic, research, and administrative system on campus — from the network edge to the data center core.
Safeguarding People, Systems, and Spaces
Advance zero-trust architecture and achieve CMMC compliance — protecting research data, student records, and physical assets while enabling a secure environment for the institution's $800M+ federal research portfolio.
Delivering Seamless Digital Experiences for All Longhorns
Redesign the ET service experience so that students, faculty, staff, and partners can resolve issues faster, access institutional knowledge on demand, and engage with technology that works seamlessly across every context.
Empowering Teaching & Learning Through Technology
Support innovative instructional technologies and learning environments that help faculty teach more effectively and students learn more deeply — from the Canvas LMS to classroom AV to AI-assisted academic tools.
Transforming with Modern Systems for a Modern University
Modernize core administrative systems — finance, HR, student information, and procurement — to replace aging ERP infrastructure with platforms that are cloud-native, integration-ready, and designed for the University's operational scale.
Driving Purposeful IT Discovery for UT
Foster experimentation and responsible adoption of emerging technologies — from AI and extended reality to quantum-readiness — ensuring UT remains at the frontier of higher education technology while maintaining the discipline to scale what works.
Advancing Discovery Through Technology
Provide advanced computing, high-speed connectivity, and secure data environments that help UT researchers compete for federal funding, meet compliance mandates, and push the boundaries of discovery across every discipline.
Ensuring Efficient, Aligned, and Accountable Operations
Standardize processes, optimize resource utilization, and build the operational discipline needed to deliver consistent, high-quality IT services at the scale UT demands — while maintaining the agility to respond to institutional change.
Leveraging Data as a Trusted Campus Asset
Build enterprise-wide data governance, quality, and accessibility so that every unit — from Student Affairs to Research to Finance — can make decisions grounded in trustworthy, readily available institutional data.
Connected to the University's mission
ET's priorities do not exist in isolation. Each one ties directly to a pillar of UT's 2030 institutional plan and to the expectations of our governance partners.
Student Success & Academic Excellence
AI tools, reliable infrastructure, and self-service IT directly lower friction in learning and research. Priorities 1, 2, and 5 are primary drivers of improved student and faculty experience.
Student Tech Hub →Research Competitiveness
CMMC compliance, TACC network capacity, and data governance capabilities directly protect and accelerate UT's $800M+ annual research enterprise. Priorities 3 and 4 are essential to research continuity.
Research Support Program →Institutional Effectiveness
Data democratization, ServiceNow expansion, and workforce investment improve the efficiency and agility of every administrative unit. Priority 4, 5, and 6 have the broadest institutional footprint.
IT Governance →How progress is reviewed
Strategic commitments require transparent accountability. ET uses a structured cadence of governance reviews to surface issues early, reallocate resources when needed, and keep the institution informed.
ET Leadership Team Reviews
VP and Director-level OKR check-ins with real-time dashboard review. Escalation path for at-risk initiatives and resource conflicts identified within the same cycle.
Enterprise Technology Executive Committee Briefings
Formal progress report to ETEC including milestone status, budget variance, and any recommended portfolio adjustments. Open to institutional leadership and governance representatives.
Leadership Council & Provost's Report
A consolidated strategic briefing delivered to the Provost's Leadership Council. Includes cross-functional outcomes, risk landscape, and forward-looking investment recommendations.
Strategic Plan Refresh
Full review of priorities, target outcomes, and resource alignment each fall. Informed by campus stakeholder input, national benchmarking data, and feedback from the prior year's governance cycle.
Engage with ET's strategy
Questions about a specific priority, interest in a governance role, or a partnership idea for your unit? ET leadership welcomes engagement from across the institution.