UW Computing Directors

About

Mission Statement

Computing Directors enhances the UW’s use of technology in teaching, learning, and research through collaboration, innovation, and proactive partnerships.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the University of Washington Computing Directors Group is to create a community for communication of strategic information and technology issues and to improve our support and resources in service of teaching, learning, and research and service across the university.

To that end, we

  • Provide a forum for the dissemination of information and discussion of strategic IT issues at the University of Washington which is open to all members of the UW community;
  • Represent the needs of distributed IT in units across the UW campuses;
  • Identify issues and propose solutions to common unit-level IT challenges and opportunities;
  • Foster professional development, networking, and mentorship opportunities
  • Partner with UW-IT to influence UW-wide strategic plans and priorities.

Expectations for Participation 

In order to achieve the goals outlined in the UW Computing Directors Group Statement of Purpose, members are expected to actively participate in the Group’s projects, programs and activities. Examples of participation include:

  • Preparing for and attending UW Computing Directors meetings
  • Assisting with logistical support for UW Computing Directors meetings
  • Volunteering for subcommittees or task groups
  • Assisting with program development and/or mentorship of one of more Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Officers

The current structure is for two co-chairs that alternate in the role of Chair and Facilitator.

Chair(s)

  • is the principal contact and spokesperson for the Computing Director’s group;
  • in consultation with the Group, identifies, solicits, assigns, and/or designates resources required to accomplish the Group’s mission and objectives;
  • appoints sub-committee chairs and working group leaders;
    may convene special meetings as needed;
  • in the absence of a facilitator, or at specially-convened meetings, presides over meetings of the Group or appoints a meeting facilitator.

Facilitator(s)

  • in consultation with the Group, develops the agenda for a Group meeting and communicates the agenda to Group members at least 3 days before the scheduled meeting and posts the agenda on the website;
  • obtains an appropriate location for a Group meeting;
  • presides over a Group meeting and facilitates discussion;
  • sends monthly meeting notices to the Computing Directors, and the Board of Deans and Chancellors;
  • assists in collecting and coordinating agenda items.

Secretary

  • takes minutes at a Group meeting and posts them to the website;
  • maintains various Computing Directors Group resources like the website, mailing lists, cloud storage, etc.

Membership Guidelines

Voting Members

All core and extended members admitted via the process described below are voting members of the group. Each unit represented, either core or extended, has one vote. Voting serves as a mechanism for organizing the group and its structure. It also provides a way for the group to express its collective views on IT policies and procedures at UW.

Associate Members

Recognizing that fostering professional development, networking, and mentorship opportunities are a core component of the group:

  • Senior staff in an IT organization of a unit with designated representation or
  • Senior IT staff of other units with distributed IT

are eligible for sponsorship by designated representative as an Associate, non-voting member.

Associate members may participate in discussions, serve on committees and contribute to the group’s mission, but do not have the ability to vote.

Ex-Officio Members

Representatives from UW IT and UW Medicine ITS serve as ex-officio members of the group. The executive head of UW IT and the executive head of UW Medicine ITS will select 2-3 ex-officio members respectively. Generally, the following leadership areas should be represented:

  • CISO
  • Customer Experience
  • Research
  • CTO

Observers

All UW employees are eligible to attend the Distributed IT Forum and open meetings.   

Admission of Members

Core Representation

The foundation of the Computing Directors Group is made up of designated representatives from each of the colleges and schools that comprise the academic/research units which are enumerated by the Board of Deans and Chancellors (https://www.washington.edu/provost/board-of-deans-and-chancellors/).

The designated representative of a core unit should:

  • Hold a top information technology leadership position
  • Be empowered to make decisions about strategic IT directions for the unit.
  • Have a letter of support from a Dean or Chancellor of that individual’s unit.

Approval by a majority of the voting membership is required to admit a new representative of a core unit. Regular attendance is expected of admitted core members. If a core unit is not currently represented, the leadership of Computing Directors will contact the executive head of the unit to solicit a candidate to represent the unit.

Extended Representation

Extending this foundation to include more than these designated representatives enables the Group to increase its leadership diversity. Units within the UW Academy with distributed IT are eligible for representation. Only units whose IT leadership report to non-IT executive heads (such as Chairs, Directors, or Vice Presidents) are eligible. Subunits of an IT organization within a unit are not eligible for representation (although individuals may be eligible as Associate Members.)

Academic/Research Units: If the core representation is already filled, units within Schools and Colleges may request direct representation to the group.

Administrative Units: Administrative units which do not report up to a member of the Board of Deans and Chancellors may request admission to the group.

Criteria for admission of the unit will be the size and complexity of the IT infrastructure present within that unit and/or the size of the unit represented (based on the number of staff, faculty, and students);

  • The designated represented of the extended unit should hold a high information technology leadership position
  • Be empowered to make decisions about strategic IT directions
  • Have a letter of support from the Executive Head (Chair, Director, Vice President, etc) of that individual’s unit.

After attending at least three meetings as a non-voting observer, the designated representative of the unit should submit a letter of interest outlining the structure of IT in the unit and what of the above criteria is met.

Current Extended Representation as of June 2024

  • Office of Vice Provost Research: Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Office of Vice Provost Research: Office of Research Information Services
  • College of Arts & Sciences: Physics and Astronomy
  • College of Arts & Sciences: Statistics
  • College of Engineering: Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering
  • College of the Environment: Environmental and Forest Sciences
  • School of Medicine: Surgery
  • School of Medicine: Radiology
  • School of Public Health: Biostatistics
  • School of Public Health: Enviro & Occup Health
  • School of Public Health: Global Health
  • Office of Vice President Student Life: Housing & Food Services

Approval by a majority of the voting membership is required to admit a new representative of an extended unit.

Representatives of Core Units and the Extended Units listed above, who are members at the time these guidelines are approved, shall be considered to have fulfilled all the criteria for membership and will be official members.

Periodic Review

Membership guidelines will be reviewed at least every 3 years.

Last Reviewed

  • June 20th, 2024 – Vote to accept revised membership guidelines