Reappointment of Vice Provost Jim Davis

UCLA Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

To:Deans, Vice Chancellors and Vice Provosts

Dear Colleagues:

A committee appointed by my office recently completed the customary five-year administrative review of Jim Davis, vice provost for information technology and chief academic technology officer. On the basis of a highly positive review, I asked Jim to continue his service as vice provost, and I am pleased to announce that he has accepted the reappointment.

The committee praised Jim for being an effective, proactive leader in preparing for and confronting the challenges of campus information technology and its application in an academic setting. Colleagues commented on the efficiency of the office of information technology (OIT) and the Institute for Digital Research and Education (IDRE) in meeting the extensive needs of various campus units. Jim’s influence on academic IT policy and practice extends beyond the campus and the UC system; it is widespread nationally and internationally.

This review affirmed OIT’s effectiveness following a 2009 revision of its mission to focus on the academic impacts of IT on UCLA’s research, teaching and public mission. The office has reorganized to strengthen UCLA’s data cyber infrastructure; ensure research, education and mobility platforms that offer shared tools and collaboration resources; and establish internal and external communities to build policies, practices and rich sharing of expertise and applications.

In reappointing Jim and based on the committee’s review, we have agreed on OIT’s portfolio of program-oriented responsibilities moving forward, which involve campus partnerships and IT governance:

• Institute for Digital Research and Education, which includes researcher programs and grants, research technology infrastructure, and management and implementation of infrastructure and platform grants
• Mobility in research and learning, web-based technology, and data collection and visualization
• Educational technology platforms and analytics infrastructure alignment, integration, R&D and investment
• IT strategic policy, privacy and accessibility, and the office of the chief privacy officer
• Academic software and cloud resources and practices
• Digital Citizenship and internal and external community partnership programs
• Campus academic data, academic decision and shared data practices, and appropriation and technology transfer of data assets
• Regional and national public–private partnerships centered around IT infrastructure, platforms and leadership
• Campus IT strategic planning, governance and infrastructure alignment

Chancellor Gene Block and I look forward to working closely with Jim in furthering the campus’s initiatives. UCLA’s faculty, administration, staff and students are fortunate to have the benefit of his extraordinary leadership. Please join me in extending appreciation and congratulations to our colleague, Jim.

Sincerely,

Scott L. Waugh
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost