UIC Tech Talk: Your guide to campus tech, news and online safety

Welcome to the fall 2025 semester. UIC’s central IT department, Technology Solutions, would like to share important tech news, as well as the latest tech services, resources and support available to you.  

Campus tech news 

UIC technology and innovation report  

UIC has released the 2024 CIO Report, highlighting major advancements in technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI tools and research computing. “I am pleased to share a summary of the exciting achievements and forward-looking initiatives that Technology Solutions worked on in 2024 to propel us toward innovation and excellence in IT at the University of Illinois Chicago,” Chief Information Officer Matt Riley said. The report emphasizes UIC’s continued commitment to enhancing digital services and creating a supportive environment for students, instructors and staff. Read the CIO Report. 

Transition to Zoom Phone 

UIC is upgrading to Zoom Phone. Bala Ramaraju, director of IT Strategy and Planning at UIC Business, praised the successful Zoom Phone migration led by Mat Willis, Bill Sullivan and Gerry Taylor, highlighting the team’s exceptional planning, execution and support that ensured a smooth transition with minimal user issues. Learn more about Zoom Phone transition. 

Email consolidation  

Over the summer, significant steps were made in unifying university email service to Microsoft Exchange. A total of 710 Gmail accounts were successfully migrated to Exchange in an effort to help secure information and optimize resources as part of the email consolidation initiative. 

Learning management system transition: UIC is moving to Canvas 

UIC is transitioning from Blackboard to Canvas, a more accessible and user-friendly learning management system. Learn more about the Canvas transition and watch town halls. 

Forward initiative – College of Pharmacy network updates 

Technology Solutions successfully completed a transformative upgrade of the entire network infrastructure at the UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy, marking a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to modernize and future-proof the university’s technology landscape. Read more about the Retzky College of Pharmacy updates.

Digital Accessibility Hub 

A new federal rule from the Department of Justice now requires all public universities to ensure digital content meets updated accessibility standards by April 2026. UIC launched the Digital Accessibility Hub to support this effort.  

For questions, inquiries or support, email digital-a11y@uic.edu. 

Printing at UIC updates and improvements 

UIC’s printing network is adapting to meet the needs of a mobile-first campus while keeping costs low and uptime high. Learn what’s changing with UIC printing. 

Technology service feedback study coming soon  

Keep an eye out for our upcoming Technology Services study. Instructors, faculty and staff: Your feedback helps us improve the technology, tools and services you rely on. Your voice matters to us! 

Technology essentials 

Browse the IT resources available to faculty, instructors and staff, including technology and desktop support, IT services and campus tech news, on the IT@UIC Services page.  

College and unit IT contacts 

Many colleges and units have their own IT support teams available to assist with tech needs. Find your IT support contact.  

UI Health support 

UI Health employees are supported by the Information Services team, which maintains systems like Epic and provides direct support to UI Health staff. Contact the information services team.  

Instructor support 

Learning Technology Solutions, within Technology Solutions, manages the core teaching technologies used across UIC and provides instructors with consulting, training and support for tools like lecture capture, course design, learning analytics and more. Explore Learning Technology Solutions services and support. 

As a reminder, Learning Technology Solutions is offering extended weekend support hours for fall 2025.    

Research and innovation 

Advanced Cyberinfrastructure for Education and Research, also known as ACER, part of Technology Solutions, empowers the UIC research community with tools like high-speed networking, secure storage, advanced computing and expert-led workshops on topics from Python and R to Machine Learning and Generative AI. Learn more about ACER’s services and events.  

Stay safe online 

Awareness can be your best defense. Instructors and staff should know of the common scams they may encounter online, in their inbox and on their phone. Common scams include: 

1. Urgent favor from a UIC colleague: Be cautious of emails that appear to come from UIC colleagues requesting urgent favors, such as purchasing gift cards or wiring money. These are almost always scams. 
2. Phishing emails with fake links: Watch for emails about employment opportunities, account deactivations, password resets or payroll or retirement updates. These often contain fraudulent links leading to fake login pages. 
3. Suspicious text messages: Learn to spot Duo 2FA phishing attempts and other scams that may arrive via text message or on your phone.

Remember to report suspicious emails to security@uic.edu. 

Learn more about security awareness and education.  

For more information, please contact:
Technology Solutions
ithelp@uic.edu