August, 2026 CIO Update
Welcome to the Fall 2026 semester! The start of the semester is always extremely busy but really exciting (despite the traffic and parking woes), and I greatly appreciate the extensive planning and hard work of the entire Technology Services team in getting us ready! While there may be a perception that we don’t have much to do over the summer, that couldn’t be further from the truth. For this month’s blog, I’d like to highlight the amazing results of some of the many efforts we made over the summer.
Summer Preparation By the Numbers
In addition to major upgrades of our core network infrastructure and services, we completed several other projects needed for Fall. Some highlights:
- 3,000+ New wireless access points installed across Monroe Park and VCU Health campuses, covering over 130 buildings.
- 16,000+ Internal and 9,000+ external DNS records migrated to a new platform to enhance network resilience.
- 2,000+ DHCP scopes modernized to support seamless university-wide connectivity.
- 5,000+ New student accounts activated over the summer.
- 2,700+ VCU Cards printed during the peak rush of August 14–19.
- 100+ Classroom podium monitors replaced to resolve “purple hue” display issues.
- 13 Central classrooms receiving full technology lifecycle updates.
New Tools and Digital Destinations
We launched several initiatives this semester to streamline the digital experience and provide more powerful capabilities to advance teaching, learning, and research. These include:
- The new tech.vcu.edu: On August 18, we officially launched our redesigned website at tech.vcu.edu, replacing the legacy ts.vcu.edu. This new site is designed to be a more intuitive, user-friendly way to find IT information and support.
- Adobe Global ETLA & Firefly: Our new Adobe agreement is live. All active employees and enrolled students now have access to Firefly Premium, which introduces text-to-video generation capabilities. We also successfully transitioned 1,100 accounts for the VCU Qatar campus to this new licensing model.
- Mazévo Space Scheduling: On August 25, Mazévo officially replaced EMS for all Centrally-Scheduled Spaces (CSS). For those managing Departmentally-Scheduled Spaces (DSS), the transition will occur on September 8. Training resources are available at go.vcu.edu/mazevo/training.
- Zoom Interface Update: You may have noticed a “new look” for Zoom, which went live on August 10. This mandatory update provides a more modern web interface for all users.
- VCU Events Calendar: We have soft-launched the new university-wide calendar at calendar.vcu.edu.
Navigating the Future: AI Initiatives
We are committed to a future where AI enhances the academic experience. This includes making various AI tools and resources available to all students, staff, and faculty safely, securely, and affordably:
- The Fall AI Pilot (NebulaONE): We are formally piloting a new AI portal this fall, powered by NebulaONE. This pilot will provide a single portal for VCU to develop agentic apps and use Generative AI (GenAI) chat functionality across various models.
- Commitment to AI Literacy: VCU is dedicated to deploying AI literacy and training across campus to ensure these tools are used ethically and effectively. To find support and guidance, please visit https://go.vcu.edu/ai.
Frictionless Security and Enhanced Support
We also continue to progress toward a more “frictionless” campus experience by modernizing how we all access and interact with critical IT systems and services:
- Entra ID & Biometrics: VCU Mobile and the myVCU portal are transitioning to Entra ID for authentication. This is a foundational step toward a passwordless experience, enabling an upcoming pilot for biometric authentication (Face ID and Touch ID) for faster, more secure access.
- IT Support Center (ITSC): The ITSC was ready for the beginning of the semester rush. We have deployed a new fleet of 50 MacBook Neo loaner laptops for students. These are available for checkout at Cabell Library, where we have installed a specialized 45-capacity charging cart to ensure hardware is always ready for use.
Phishing Scam Awareness
We are seeing an increase in phishing scams targeting our VCU faculty, staff, and students. Scammers specifically target students with fake IT alerts, job offers, shared documents, phone calls, and VCU login pages. Remember these three rules:
Scammers want you rushed, scared, excited, or curious. Pause and verify the request using contact information you find independently. Report suspicious emails, texts, calls, and screenshots to [email protected]. Check out our current scam alerts at https://blogs.vcu.edu/phishing/.
The mission of Technology Services is to empower success through innovation. Our focus remains on supporting student achievement and world-class research. I am incredibly excited for the year ahead and look forward to seeing what more we can accomplish together.
Alex