As we continue to navigate a time of change—both within our institution and across the higher education landscape—I want to take a moment to share some important updates.

With the arrival of our new chancellor and recent shifts in federal education policy, we’ve taken a fresh look at our Campus Strategic Plan, particularly Goal 5. This goal focuses on how we operate —through our people, our finances and our technology. To stay effective and sustainable, we’re shifting our focus back to the basics: strengthening our core operations in  human resources, finance and technology.

These areas are essential to supporting every part of our campus community. Right now, our decentralized structure—where each department manages its own systems and processes—creates duplication, higher costs and inconsistent service experiences.

To address this, we are looking to expand shared services. This looks to centralize common services so they can be delivered more efficiently and consistently across campus so that we’re working smarter together.

What this means for UCLA is better support with standardized processes with more reliable and consistent service for everyone. It also paves the way for smarter use of talent by consolidating routine tasks, freeing up time and energy for staff to focus on what they do best. Shared services can help us reduce duplication and make better use of our limited resources—something that’s especially important given our financial challenges.

We’ve already seen success with this approach with individual IT units joining forces as part of the new Digital & Technology Solutions (DTS), as well as with the HRPOC shared services model.  We are now exploring how we can expand these models and expand them to include certain financial functions. These changes won’t happen overnight. We are taking a thoughtful, phased approach—testing, learning and adjusting as we go with an eye to building a stronger, more stable foundation that supports UCLA—now and into the future.

Thank you for everything you do to support our campus community. Your work matters, and we’re excited to move forward together.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Beck
Administrative Vice Chancellor

Just days ahead of her five-year UCLA work anniversary, Lucy Avetisyan was center stage in front of an audience of more than 400 people at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. It was a moment she had envisioned and tirelessly worked toward since starting her role as associate vice chancellor for information technology services (ITS) and chief information officer (CIO).

“I want to officially welcome you to Day One, the start of something bold, exciting and deeply meaningful for all of us,” said Avetisyan at the April 23 all-staff event that brought members of UCLA’s central IT organization together for a day of celebration, learning and networking.

“Today isn’t just about gathering in a new space. It’s about stepping fully into a new identity. As of today, we are no longer IT Services. We are UCLA Digital and Technology Solutions. We’ve grown from being service providers to being strategic partners. From fixing what’s broken to building what’s possible.”

“The launch of DTS is a first-of-its-kind undertaking among the 10 University of California campuses, involving numerous stakeholders from UCLA and support from the UC Office of the President,” said Avetisyan, who received the 2022 CIO Award from the Tambellini Group and a 2022 EdScoop 50 Award from the Scoop News Group for her broader contributions to the field.

In addition to strengthening the foundation of campus technology and advancing UCLA’s five-year strategic plan. the establishment of DTS will also help reduce operational complexity, strengthen collaboration and empower innovation with technology, she said.

“We are embracing a bold new vision where technology is no longer just a support system,” said Darnell Hunt, UCLA executive vice chancellor and provost. “IT is a strategic driver of our mission. It powers how we teach. It fuels how we conduct our research. And it shapes how we serve communities — here in Los Angeles and around the world.”

In 2020, Avetisyan became UCLA’s associate vice chancellor for ITS and CIO, with a mandate to develop a digital campus roadmap by identifying IT service gaps that hinder performance, limit service excellence and slow UCLA’s digital progress compared to its peers. Following the announcement of the organizational transformation, hiring for the new DTS department occurred in waves over the past 18 months, with the most recent team members coming on board in March 2025.

“We understood from the gaps that a new structure and operating model would be required,” said Jennifer Ferry, associate chief information officer for strategy, planning and operations, adding that the division was not something that could organically transition over time. “It required a complete departmental redesign to meet the demands of UCLA’s evolving technology landscape and align with the university’s broader goals.”

Using the knowledge and insight gained and communicating their findings to 250 stakeholders across campus in nearly 30 sessions, Avetisyan and her team got to work on making data-driven decisions to remedy decades of IT underinvestment, untapped innovation and unrealized savings.

“By modernizing systems and simplifying operations, technology becomes seamless, allowing Bruins to explore new ideas, expand solutions and drive meaningful change,” said Avetisyan. “Technology should empower people, not stand in their way. This shift ensures that UCLA is equipped with the right digital solutions for today while building a strong foundation for the future.”

For students and faculty, this means secure and accessible digital experiences that continue to support engaging teaching, learning and collaboration. Staff and faculty will see improved tools, products and workflows that will make it easier to work efficiently and stay connected. In addition, they will experience a more strategic approach to collaboration, ensuring technology solutions align with and accelerate UCLA’s broader goals, said Veronica Garcia, deputy chief information officer.

“When systems work better, people can focus on what really matters — exploration, discovery and progress,” Garcia said.

As part of building its senior leadership team, DTS welcomed the University of California’s first chief data and AI officer, Chris Mattmann, and introduced generative artificial intelligence technologies to the campus, including ChatGPT Enterprise, M365 CoPilot and Google’s GeminiChat for use by the campus community.

According to Garcia, the benefits of creating and launching DTS have been vast and impactful. The team leveraged its talent during the recent Los Angeles wildfires to establish a real-time UCLA evacuee dashboard mapping campus databases with CalFire evacuation data to identify staff, faculty and students who were impacted by evacuations. This information was then used to generate unit-specific information for senior leadership to provide targeted outreach and support to affected individuals.

“Our role is to ensure that as UCLA’s digital environment grows, security remains a constant foundation,” said Drake Chang, UCLA’s chief information security officer. “By protecting both individual and institutional data, we’re enabling Bruins to innovate, collaborate and thrive with confidence."

Building on that commitment, DTS has modernized more than 200 critical applications, led cloud migrations that increased agility, and streamlined IT services, reducing redundancy and improving experiences for students, faculty and staff. The team has also reimagined UCLA’s digital workplace — introducing new collaboration platforms, automating complex workflows and enhancing cybersecurity protocols to protect UCLA’s data and mission, all while supporting more than 65,000 users across campus — at scale, in real-time and under increasing demand.

“As UCLA’s technology needs to grow over time, Bruins will have greater access to intuitive, secure digital tools that support everything from classroom experiences to administrative workflows,” said Avetisyan. “To meet these needs, DTS is committed to driving a new era of innovation, modernizing systems, strengthening digital infrastructure and harnessing the power of data and AI to fuel UCLA’s continuous ascent, spark new possibilities and help shape the future of our university.”

**This article was originally published in the most recent Administration Equity Council newsletter. 

Mental health resources in the workplace are crucial for fostering an inclusive and equitable environment. They ensure that all employees, regardless of their background, have access to the support they need to maintain their well-being and productivity.

According to the California Health Care Foundation, about 1 in 7 adults in California live with a mental illness, and 1 in 26 experience a serious mental illness that significantly impacts their daily lives. These numbers highlight how common mental health challenges are—and yet many people still hesitate to seek help, often believing their struggles aren’t “serious enough.”

But mental health exists on a spectrum, and reaching out early can prevent issues from becoming more severe. Support is available, and you don’t need to wait for a crisis to take advantage of it. Prioritizing your mental well-being is just as important as caring for your physical health.

Here at UCLA, the UCLA Staff & Faculty Counseling Center (SFCC) provides short-term individual counseling and crisis intervention for UCLA employees and leaders, including consultation for supervisors supporting their teams. Employees can schedule appointments with licensed counselors to address personal and work-related challenges. The SFCC is available to adult immediate family members as well. Trainings and in-services are also provided on topics such as stress management, resilience, and emotional well-being. All services are voluntary, confidential, and free. Bilingual counselors (Spanish and Mandarin) are available. To schedule an appointment or for additional questions, please call the SFCC at (310) 794-0245 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.

UCLA employees enrolled in UC-sponsored medical insurance plans also have access to comprehensive behavioral health benefits. These include coverage for mental health services such as therapy, counseling, and psychiatric care, often with both in-person and virtual options available. Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns, support is available through your health plan. These services are part of your overall benefits package and are designed to ensure that you and your family have access to the care you need—without needing to navigate additional enrollment steps.

Other campus resources include the UCLA Mindfulness Education Center and the Mindful Awareness Research Center, which both offer classes and workshops for the public. In addition, the Healthy Campus Initiative Center at UCLA provides resources and holds events throughout the year to promote health and well-being at UCLA. The center is also comprised of a series of thematic working groups, including MindWell, which fosters wellbeing, resilience and creative achievement throughout the UCLA community.

It’s important to remember that mental health challenges don’t have to reach a crisis point before you seek help. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, down or just not quite yourself, talking to a mental health professional can provide clarity, tools and relief. Reaching out is a sign of strength—not weakness—and taking that first step can lead to meaningful improvements in your well-being. Resources are available, and they’re here for you, no matter the size of the issue.

With the increased use—and occasional misuse—of personal scooters on the UCLA campus, UCLA Transportation and the UCLA Office of Campus and Community Safety have launched a new, hard-hitting ad campaign across campus. Highlighting the potential consequences of irresponsible riding, both for individuals and the wider UCLA community, the campaign aims to build a culture of respect, awareness, and accountability among scooter users.

The initiative takes inspiration from the classic board game “Would You Rather?” to better engage younger students—the primary users of scooters on and around campus. The ads pose a clear choice: would you rather be a responsible Bruin, or a reckless one whose actions endanger others and threaten your future? This strategy adopts a more direct tone than typical safety messaging, while remaining bright, playful and visually engaging to connect with students. Creative design was led by UCLA Administration Marketing & Communications.

When riding micromobility devices such as electric scooters, Bruins are urged to follow UCLA’s micromobility guidelines:

• Scooters need to be walked in campus dismount zones.

• Scooters should be ridden on surface streets, avoiding pedestrian walkways and crosswalks.

• Observe all traffic lights and signs, following the same rules as motor vehicles.

• Scooters should be parked respectfully in designated locations that do not block doorways, staircases or other pathways.

Helmets are strongly recommended to better protect riders from injury.

Ensuring safety in our labs and research units, and throughout our campus population, is not just a procedural necessity, it is essential to prevent accidents, protect the health and well-being of our community and maintain the integrity of our scientific endeavors. The consequences of not being prepared and knowledgeable about safety protocols can be severe, including injuries, loss of research and long-term health impacts. To support this education, Environment, Health and Safety hosted UCLA’s inaugural Campus Safety Week.

From May 5 to 7, Bruins were encouraged to attend one or more educational demonstrations, workshops and other events designed to further create a stronger culture of campus safety and well-being. All events were free and open to UCLA students, faculty and staff.

“Safety isn’t merely a box to check; it’s a commitment to our collective well-being,” said Curtis Plotkin, assistant vice chancellor of UCLA Environment, Health and Safety. “By being knowledgeable about safety topics and learning how to prevent accidents and injuries, we actively contribute to a better UCLA.”

Event highlights included DuPont ThermoMan and ThermoHand presentations where attendees learned about the technology and witnessed the dramatic testing of lab coats and protective gloves against intense fire and heat. Emergency prep for the daily driver sessions taught people how to be better prepared behind the wheel and a health and safety fair featured free treats, drawings and prizes. Vendors include Grainger, GOJO/Purell, Dewalt, Thermo Fisher, Bulwark, Rubbermaid, Honeywell, Milwaukee and Primo Driving School, among others.

In addition, a venomous animals and poisonous plants workshop was held for those seeking a refresher course on what to look out for when you’re out in the field or on a hike.