Hundreds of information technology professionals from across UW–Madison gathered on campus and online in fall 2025 for eight listening sessions with Chief Information Officer Didier Contis.
The ideas, opportunities, challenges and priorities they shared will inform UW’s IT strategic decision-making in the months to come. Here’s what we learned, and what comes next.
By the numbers
8
listening sessions
(4 on campus, 4 virtual)
356
IT professionals
attended
31
schools, colleges & divisions represented
528
written comments
188
spoken comments
49%
of attendees came from distributed IT units
What we heard: 5 priority areas
Based on themes that you shared across all sessions, we identified these five priorities for the UW IT community.
1. Strengthen governance & voice
Create formal channels for distributed IT to help shape decisions, not just provide input. Build transparent roadmaps that balance university-wide priorities with local flexibility.
2. Address resource constraints & technical debt
Develop clear plans to retire outdated systems. Prioritize university-wide licensing and identity management to reduce duplication and costs.
3. Invest in workforce development
Expand training opportunities, especially in AI literacy and IT service management. Create programs that connect central and distributed IT staff to build relationships and share knowledge.
4. Shape AI strategy with guardrails
Publish clear guidelines on approved AI tools, data handling and ethical use. Build risk assessments into how we evaluate and adopt new technology.
5. Improve service transparency
Develop a university-wide service catalog showing who owns what, how to get help, and what’s on the service roadmap. Make it easier to find the right tools and support.
What’s working & what needs attention
Points of pride
Participants shared pride in:
- A people-centered IT culture that values collaboration
- Behind-the-scenes work that keeps the university running
- Efforts that support the Wisconsin Idea, such as extending wireless access in K–12 schools
- Expanding hybrid classroom technology across the campus
- Building infrastructure that positions UW as a worldwide leader in research
“We are the people behind the scenes making this work, and it is not always visible.” Participant
Persistent challenges
Common challenges included:
- Limited budgets and staffing that strain teams
- Technical debt from systems that should be retired but can’t be
- Legal requirements that create a “compliance divide”
- Fragmented IT support that makes it hard for people to find the right help
- Tensions between centralizing services and preserving local flexibility
“A challenge for us is the constant change we have to deal with and manage. …It’s exhausting for our team members…” Participant
Ideas worth spreading
Participants shared successes that could benefit the wider IT community, including:
- IT Service Management (ITSM) practices and shared identity integrations
- More university-wide licensing for needed service areas, such as event registration
- Promoting human connection and knowledge-exchange among researchers
- Balancing scale with training and capacity
“There’s a big opportunity on this campus to think about the portfolio of qualitative data analysis software we’re offering [students and researchers] and the support structure we offer to make sure that they can do their work in a way that is not isolated.” Participant
AI on our minds
The discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) were spirited and wide-ranging, with participants expressing both excitement and concern.
What excites people
- Potential to streamline repetitive tasks
- Help with coding, transcription and research
- Opportunities to improve how we work
What concerns people
- Lack of clarity with policies and guidelines
- Questions about data privacy and ethics
- Environmental impact
- Risk of AI replacing human work rather than supporting it
“AI releases in vended products are happening so quickly, they are easily outpacing conversations and policy development around them. People want to do the right thing, but don’t know what the right thing is.” Participant
What happens next
- This report will be a key component of future IT strategic planning at UW–Madison.
- These findings will inform decision-making about governance, resource allocation, AI strategy and workforce development.
Continuing the conversation
The strong participation and positive feedback show clear demand for ongoing engagement between IT leadership and the broader IT community. Future sessions will build on lessons learned — including the value of DoIT-specific forums, multiple ways to participate and transparent discussion of sensitive topics.
Thank you! 
This work only matters because you — the IT community — showed up and leaned in.
We’re grateful for the time you took, the thoughtful perspectives you shared and your willingness to engage in honest conversations about our shared future.
