One thing we can all count on is that technology will constantly change, and we will be constantly challenged to keep up. I want to do the best job I can of keeping you informed and this first issue of Behind the Screens is the start of a new dialog about what’s on the technology horizon and what it means for us.
My goal is simple: to share high-level updates on major ITS initiatives, explain how they will affect students, faculty, and staff, and ask for your feedback and partnership in making these changes as smooth as possible.
What’s Changing Now?
CHiP: Optimizing Management of Campus Computers
The Campus Hardware Procurement Program (CHiP) launched July 1, 2025. The program is designed to address two distinct but related goals.
First, to comply with UNC System technology management policies and remediate findings from the 2022 IT General Controls Audit, all UNCG computer hardware and software must be obtained centrally through ITS and managed as university-owned assets, regardless of funding source.
This is a large and complex initiative because we have diverse campus needs. It is not reasonable to expect our campus to be fully compliant on day 1 and I don’t. ITS will work in close partnership with faculty and staff in the coming months to understand your technology needs and optimize centralized technology purchasing processes to ensure that we implement common sense solutions that help all of our students, faculty, and staff be successful while meeting institutional compliance requirements.
Second, centralizing our technology hardware and software purchasing gives our campus the opportunity to benefit from economies of scale that can provide significant cost savings. When fully implemented, this program is projected to save UNCG over $1M annually.
A one-size-fits-all model isn’t practical, so CHiP is focused on building groups of technology use cases that can be managed in a standardized, compliant way. Not all uses cases can, so we will focus on opportunities that make sense for us.
Our campus’s largest and most common use case is “office” computers—the daily-use machines most faculty and staff rely on—and that’s where the current CHiP computer leasing program is focused. The leasing program is not being applied to special use computers that researchers and others may need for different tasks.
Understanding and developing efficient standardized processes to meet computing needs that don’t fit the “office computer” model is going to take time and collaboration. For these cases, ITS will continue working directly with faculty and staff in academic and administrative units to ensure that needs are well-understood, and everyone gets the tools they need quickly, sensibly, and in compliance with the state of North Carolina requirements. Over time, we will work together to identify new opportunities for program optimization.
What Do I need to do?
- Review the Tier 1 and Tier 2 device options in preparation for future orders.
- Talk with your department leadership if you believe a non-standard device is needed.
- Watch for guidance from your division about how CHiP will be implemented in your area.
- Remind everyone that new computer requests must flow through the CHiP process.
- Reassure teams that ITS will work directly with them on research, labs, or other special-use needs.
- Learn more about the Campus Hardware Procurement (CHiP) Program on our Technology Initiatives website.
Every upgrade, every new tool, and every process change is ultimately about helping our campus thrive. I welcome your active participation in helping us achieve the very best outcomes for UNCG. If you have feedback that you would like to share, please email me at CIO@uncg.edu.
Thank you for working with us—and for reminding your colleagues and students that technology isn’t just infrastructure; it’s a shared resource that makes teaching, learning, and research possible.
I ask for your patience and grace as we work toward good outcomes for UNCG.
In partnership,
Donna Heath, Chief Information Officer