Driving Innovation at UBCO: IT’s 2025 Year in Review
From smarter classrooms to next-gen networks, UBCO IT delivered a year of transformation that enhanced connectivity, streamlined support, and elevated the campus experience.
As we reflect on 2025, our initiatives weren’t just about technology—they were about advancing UBCO’s strategic priorities:
Innovation: Introducing zero-touch imaging, piloting IPv6, and launching AI-driven tools like the IT Chatbot.
Sustainability: Retiring over 500 phone lines and transitioning to softphones to reduce hardware waste.
Student Experience: Upgrading classroom audio-visual systems, boosting residence Wi-Fi, and supporting creative learning through UBCO Studios.
These efforts ensure that UBCO remains a future-ready campus where technology empowers teaching, research, and collaboration.
What’s Inside the Year in Review?
IT Support Centre: Over 17,000 tickets resolved, a new Chatbot launched, and streamlined in-person support through MS Bookings.
Campus Network: Major wired and wireless upgrades, residence Wi-Fi 6 rollout, and future-ready IPv6 testing.
Voice Services: Decommissioned 500 phone lines, transitioned 350 users to softphones, and improved emergency readiness.
End-User Computing: Migrated 2,100 devices to Windows 11, introduced zero-touch imaging, and strengthened security.
UBCO Studios: Nearly 100 professional videos/podcasts delivered, 1,000+ DIY bookings, and support for major campus events.
Web & Apps: Faster, safer websites and Phase 1 of the CMS Reimagined Project completed.
Audio Visual: Classroom tech upgrades for better sound, flexible video conferencing, and active learning environments.
Research Computing: Supported grant submissions totaling millions in funding and delivered 550 hours of consultation.
Engagement & Communications: 68 projects completed, IT newsletter subscriber growth of 133%, and new AI-focused initiatives.
Celebrating Community – IT Holiday Open House
We wrapped up the year with the 23rd Annual IT Holiday Open House, welcoming over 220 visitors, hosting 10 games and activities, and sharing plenty of festive treats.
A video recap of the event is now available, and we have a collection of photos ready to share with any staff who would like access.
Shaping the Future: A Conversation with UBC’s New Chief Information Security Officer
We sat down with UBC’s recently appointed Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Larry Carson, to discuss his career and vision for his first year as CISO. With more than 25 years of experience, Larry brings a long history of service to UBC and a deep understanding of our community. Larry has worked directly with many faculty, staff, and students to help keep UBC’s systems secure, lead incident response and prevention efforts, develop security standards, and advance the responsible use of AI and automation in cybersecurity operations. As CISO, Larry will lead the cybersecurity team in advancing UBC’s cybersecurity maturity and risk profile to ensure UBC’s data and infrastructure remain secure.
A Career Built at UBC
Larry’s journey at UBC began in the early 2000s in the Faculty of Forestry (now called the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship). Hired as their IT Manager, Larry still remembers one of his early tasks: deploying a firewall. His interest in cybersecurity grew from an early passion for computers and evolved over time. "I realized I like working with people as much as I enjoy writing code and programs” he reflects. After obtaining a degree in computer science, moving into operations and then security roles, cybersecurity soon became a central focus of his career.
Since 2002, Larry has held multiple roles at UBC focused on strengthening the university’s cybersecurity capabilities. He has been an integral part of the Privacy and Information Security Management (PrISM) initiatives, overseeing the creation and growth of the Security Operations Centre, and supported the deployment of many UBC IT cybersecurity capabilities for example in digital forensics and malware analysis. His work has strengthened relationships across BC and the Canadian higher education sector, as well as within the global cybersecurity community, through involvement with groups like BCNET and the Canadian Center for Cyber Security (CCCS). Larry was also one of the members of the working group that built the Canadian Shared Security Operations Center (CanSSOC), a collaborative initiative providing cybersecurity services, threat intelligence, and alerts to Canada’s higher education sector. These experiences have shaped Larry’s deep understanding of UBC’s technology landscape and his dedication to the UBC community.
Leading Through Change
Larry steps into the CISO role at a time of profound technological transformation. AI is reshaping both the challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity and propelling the evolution of increasingly sophisticated and creative techniques from threat actors. “Right now, the world is going through a substantive change,” Larry explains. “We get these every now and again. Something that makes a significant impact onhow everything operates. AI is one of those changes and it’s going to get even more disruptive in the next year.” When asked about the biggest cybersecurity challenges facing higher education today, Larry pointed to two primary risks: criminal organizations seeking to monetize institutions, and nation-states targeting intellectual property.
To guide UBC through this shifting landscape, Larry’s upcoming priorities include developing an updated cybersecurity strategy and further integrating machine learning and AI into UBC’s security operations. These risks combined with the rapid pace of technological development, reinforce that for Larry, “the biggest job that I have in front of me is to prepare people for change.”
Working Together to Protect UBC’s Data, Information, Systems and People
While the Chief Information Security Officer is an important leadership role for the university, Larry also highlighted the efforts of staff that play a significant role in keeping UBC secure. “If we can respond rapidly, we can keep cybersecurity threats from impacting faculty, staff, and students.” He noted that the Cybersecurity team works around the clock, including weekends and holidays, to ensure that essential university operations remain stable.
Cybersecurity requires balancing evolving technologies and standards with the need to avoid disrupting daily operations. Larry explains, “we don’t want to create unnecessary work for our community or push new technologies for the sake of it, but from time to time, change is necessary to keep the University’s data safe. Our responsibility is to make sure the community is prepared and supported when those changes come.” Striking this balance between supporting readiness for change while enabling the university’s core mission remains central to Larry’s approach as CISO. As Larry reinforces, “From a security perspective, we want to keep things operating and we want people to be successful… We’re here to help.”
What can the UBC community do to support information security? The advice is clear: “if you see something unusual that doesn’t line up with what you expect, report it to security@ubc.ca.”As Larry notes, “Timing is everything to us.”
Larry’s leadership is anchored in a clear purpose: supporting UBC’s academic mission. As he reflects,“We help to enable teaching and learning so the next generation of students can learn. And we help to enable research in greater ways that can improve the quality of life for everyone in society.” Furthermore, Larry believes security is not a “solo activity” for institutions, but a pursuit that requires higher education institutions working together, for example through organizations like BCNET or CanSSOC. This collaborative approach combined with Larry’s experiences will position UBC’s cybersecurity portfolio to continue enabling excellence, resilience, and innovation at UBC and across the post‑secondary sector.
Get Smarter With Your Password Management Practices
With cyber threats on the rise, weak and reused passwords continue to be one of the biggest vulnerabilities individuals face online. Strengthening how you manage passwords is one of the simplest and most effective steps you can take to protect your digital identity.
Key Reminders:
Avoid reusing passwords across accounts: Using the same password across multiple services creates a domino effect: if one site suffers a breach, attackers can use that single password to try to access your other accounts, including your UBC login.
Use a password manager to strengthen your security: A password manager can help you generate, store, and auto‑fill strong, unique passwords. With only one password to remember, they are an easy way to reduce the time you spend resetting forgotten passwords while improving your overall security.
Create passkeys when they’re offered: Passkeys are an authentication method that uses your device and biometrics or a PIN instead of typed passwords. When available, creating a passkey can strengthen your security posture.
Review UBC’s Information Security Standards: For guidance on protecting personal and institutional data, review UBC’s Information Security Standard U2, which outlines requirements for secure authentication practices.
M365 Roadmap: An Interview with a M365 Product Manager at UBC
As UBC continues to evolve its digital workplace, the M365 project team is laying the groundwork for a secure and seamless Microsoft 365 environment across UBC. To provide greater clarity on what this means for the UBC community, we sat down with Mark Belsito, Senior Product Manager for M365, to learn more about his role and the broader vision for M365 at UBC.
What is your role as the Microsoft 365 Product Manager for UBC and what does it entail? As a Senior Product Manager for M365 at UBC, my role is to define and execute the M365 adoption strategy across the university. This includes building and maintaining the M365 roadmap, implementing governance, security, and compliance standards, managing stakeholder engagement, overseeing change management and user adoption initiatives, ensuring licensing compliance and cost optimization, and introducing new tools and features aligned with UBC’s strategic goals.
What’s the future vision for Microsoft 365 at UBC? Our vision is to establish a secure, integrated, and collaborative technology ecosystem that supports UBC’s mission as a global leader in teaching, learning, and research.
What’s the path to get there? We are following a phased roadmap:
Phase 1: Build foundational services (Email migration to M365 for faculty, staff and students, setting up a licensing baseline, automating account provisioning, and introducing governance).
Phase 2: Deploy collaboration tools (such as SharePoint Online, Forms, Copilot, Power BI, Office Suite Deployment, Teams Room integration), enhance the security and compliance feature set, and improve account lifecycle management.
The team is currently nearing the end of Phase 1 and prepping for Phase 2.
What are the main challenges you foresee, and how will we address them? We face new challenges on a regular basis and are attempting to be as agile as possible without impacting progress on critical priorities. User adoption has taken a few years but it is encouraging to see how the UBC community has embraced the M365 platform. It has become a critical piece of day-to-day operations for those working at UBC.
Some of the challenges that we are currently working on addressing are:
Improving our web presence to better communicate new features and services, and share progress with the UBC community.
Offering training sessions and iterating to address ongoing changes to the M365 platform.
Developing a means to charge back for premium services, so that the UBC community can acquire services such as enhanced Planner and Project offerings, Teams Premium, M365 Copilot, etc…
Ensuring security and privacy compliance with UBC standards in an ever evolving platform.
Managing storage consumption to account for new quotas that Microsoft has imposed at the M365 tenant level. As other universities across Canada have done, UBC will need to review the default quotas offered with our services.
How will Microsoft 365 improve academic and administrative work at UBC? Moving to M365 will enable more collaborative capabilities for academic and administrative groups on campus. We will soon be rolling out the M365 Office Suite which will allow for better synchronous editing and collaboration, matching what is already available in the online version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. With our services now in the cloud, we have the advantage of getting access to tools that are constantly improved and updated.
Modern apps have improved accessibility features and integrate more seamlessly with other apps in the ecosystem. Microsoft Teams has greatly improved in the video conferencing space and offers a more collaborative experience than other conferencing tools. The team is also currently exploring opportunities in the education space, working with the Learning Technology Innovation Centre (LTIC) to test out potential features. Although there is a long road ahead, the team has made significant progress in building an attractive platform for academic and administrative groups at UBC.
What impacts will Microsoft 365 have on users? How should users adjust to these changes? We have seen significant growth in usage in the M365 service over the last year, driven by the migration of email to M365. Usage has grown from about 50K active users in November 2024 to 80K active users on the platform in March 2026. More adoption means more opportunities to collaborate with colleagues. The team has been trying to address some of the challenges surrounding onboarding and have made major strides in this area. This involves dismantling a lot of legacy infrastructure and processes, and rebuilding them all behind the scenes. The onboarding processes will improve over time and make it easier to consume the M365 services. Unfortunately, not all M365 services are available yet. They will come in time, as we work through the phased approach mentioned previously.
We hope that users will take advantage of the services that we have to offer, and we encourage faculty, staff and students to attend training sessions and leverage our support resources to learn how to better use the tools that we have available.
How will M365 license distribution work? Who receives what license?
The majority of faculty, staff and student employees get an M365 A3 license which includes access to Teams, OneDrive, Email and many other apps, and will soon include the option for a downloadable version of the Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). A smaller subset of employees (service workers, unpaid clinical faculty and contractors) are eligible for an A1 license which includes access to web-only versions of the M365 apps.
Students get an M365 A3 license which comes with the downloadable Office suite and a full suite of M365 apps.
Emeriti and Guests are eligible for Email Only licenses.
What training, resources, or support are available to help people make the most of Microsoft 365?
M365 Website: You can find out more information on the M365 website. We’ll also be improving our web presence in the near future to make it easier for users to find information and support.
Training Sessions: We typically offer two training sessions a month for the campus community. One on M365 Productivity (using Outlook, OneDrive and Teams) and one on M365 Copilot Chat. Keep an eye on the M365 Training webpage for upcoming sessions.
Self-Help Resources: There are guides and FAQs on the UBC IT website for each of the M365 services, and you can try out the chatbot if you need help finding something.
Support: If you run into issues and need assistance, theIT Service Centre can also help.
What other M365 projects are in the pipeline? Are there any pilots or new tools/apps being tested?
New Releases: We have enhanced our M365 Bookings app and now eligible staff, faculty, and student employees can request Shared Bookings pages to create appointments for a team of individuals. More information about this can be found on the IT website.
Current Pilots: The team is currently exploring numerous services including Teams Premium, M365 Copilot, Microsoft Teams Rooms, and much more.
Upcoming Initiatives: SharePoint Online rollout and site migrations, deployment of sensitivity labels, OneDrive/Teams quota management, billing automation, Alumni Email Forwarding are all on our radar, and we will continue advancing these initiatives as we move forward.
As UBC moves into the next phase of its Microsoft 365 journey, efforts are centered on establishing a secure, integrated, and collaborative technology for the campus community. While change takes time, M365 is set to play a critical role in how we teach, learn, and work together. Stay tuned for upcoming launches, training opportunities, and service enhancements as UBC continues to build a modern, connected, and future-ready digital campus.
Shared Microsoft Bookings Pages are now available at UBC
Shared Microsoft Bookings Pages are now available to request for eligible UBC users. Shared pages are designed for departments and teams that need a central place to schedule and manage appointments, such as offering services, setting open office hours, and coordinating bookings across multiple staff members.
What is a Shared Bookings Page?
A Shared Bookings Page helps teams:
offer multiple bookable services from a shared page
customize business hours and availability
enable staff members to manage their booking availability
streamline appointment scheduling for internal and external audiences
Before you request a new Shared Bookings Page
Please only request a Shared Bookings Page when you must. Consider:
Does another Shared Bookings Page already exist in your department/team?
Can you use Personal Bookings instead for your scenario?
Shared Bookings Pages are not intended for personal use. Even if you’re assigned ownership of a Shared Bookings Page, your department has the authority to request access if required.
Eligible users: UBC Faculty, Staff, and Student Employees Ineligible users: Service Workers (A1), and Unpaid Clinical Faculty (A1), Contractors (A1), Guests (Email Only) and Students
Microsoft Bookings is available for eligible UBC users with an M365 account. If you have not been migrated to Exchange Online, you are not eligible to own or administer a Microsoft Bookings page, however, you will still be able to book appointments using the application.
The system UBC uses to manage and update Mac computers (Jamf Pro) will be retiring the Self Service (Classic) app on February 28, 2026, and replacing it with a new, more modern application called Self Service+. UBC IT will be updating all managed Mac devices with the new application. This change ensures continued support, security updates, and compatibility with future macOS versions.
Timeline and impact
UBC will push the new Self Service+ app to all UBC managed Mac devices on February 28th.
There is no impact to service expected during the transition.
No user action is required.
Navigating the new user interface
The following screenshots show the slightly modified user interface in the new Self Service+ app.
Self Service+ now opens from the home screen.
To see software available to install, select Catalog from the left menu
There is a new icon to notify users of available updates
Global demand for memory and storage components—driven by demand for AI infrastructure—has led to sharp price increases and reduced supply for standard computer and storage hardware. Manufacturers are prioritizing raw materials and processing for advanced memory production, limiting availability and raising prices for basic PC, server, and storage components.
For UBC Okanagan department funded or specialized (non-standard) hardware purchases this means:
Price increases: ~20-30% for personal computers and 20–40% for servers and storage (especially for high memory and SSDs).
Supply delays: Shipping times could extend to 12–26+ weeks, similar to pandemic-era levels.
Centralized Efforts
To mitigate some of these impacts, UBCO IT is currently:
Advance purchasing bulk stock of base model personal computers (for FY26-27 CRP purchases and renewals) and classroom AV equipment to lock in current pricing and reduce the risk of shipping delays.
Consulting with researchers to assess and offset the impact on existing and upcoming grants in coordination with Research Computing and the VP Research and Innovation Office.
Unit Recommendations
Extend Refresh Cycles: Delay non-critical upgrades or purchases of department or grant funded computing, storage or server purchases to avoid pricing increases and delays.
Consider Alternative Configurations: Consult with UBCO IT to explore lower memory/storage specs or hybrid storage strategies which will be less impacted by increased prices and demand.
Computer Replacement Program (CRP) Standard, general-purposedesktops and laptops provided through the Computer Replacement Program (CRP) remain centrally funded for standard configurations. Configuration modifications (uplifts) will continue to be at department expense (usually leveraged for combined teaching and research needs by faculty members). These uplifts may see inflation for memory and storage needs.
Quickly Approve Purchases in Workday: Quote validity has been shortened by many vendors to 2 weeks, therefore timely approvals of purchase requisitions for department purchases or custom requirements will reduce the need for re-quotes which could result in higher costs and delays.
Further Information or follow up
Please reach out to UBCO IT if you’d like more details on the forecasted pricing and supply issues or would like to set up a consultation to discuss more cost-effective configurations for your department or research needs.
We’re pleased to announce the launch of the newly refreshed UBC Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) website. This update focuses on modernizing the site’s design and underlying platform to improve accessibility, security, and overall consistency.
The OCIO website has been upgraded from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10, ensuring compliance with current UBC website security standards and accessibility requirements. The site’s core functionality and content remain the same, and this upgrade strengthens the site’s foundation, making it more secure and reliable for the users.
New OCIO website features:
Modernized design and platform: The upgrade to Drupal 10 enhances accessibility, improves performance, and ensures long-term sustainability.
Enhanced security and compliance: Updated security features will help protect users and university information more effectively.
Refreshed Data Governance content: Improved presentation and structure of data and governance information.
New Chatbot Now Available: An OCIO chatbot can now help answer common questions and supports users in finding OCIO, UBC IT, Privacy Matters, and GenAI information easily.
We value your input! As we continue to refine and improve the website, we encourage you to share your feedback with us at https://www.it.ubc.ca/communications. Your insights help ensure the site meets the needs of the UBC community.
Privacy Matters @ UBC is excited to host Data Privacy Week 2026, a series of 3 virtual sessions dedicated to strengthening our community’s understanding of privacy, transparency, and responsible technology use at UBC. The week offers valuable insights to help every member of the UBC community protect information and foster a culture of trust.
Event Highlights:
What’s New in Privacy at UBC? Tuesday, January 27, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Listen to opening remarks from BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Michael Harvey, exploring personal privacy threats in the age of AI and how to build trust in institutions, followed by an inside look at UBC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen privacy practices. Register now
Demystifying Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Did you know your work emails, chat messages, and other records can be requested under B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)? But what does this mean for you? Learn what counts as a record, what you’re responsible for, and how to handle requests while protecting privacy. Register now
AI Privacy & Information Security: Same Game, Faster & Smarter Players Thursday, January 29, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
As artificial intelligence use accelerates, it's reshaping the privacy and information security landscape - but not inventing new problems. This session explores the key risks that AI amplifies and how these challenges are rooted in long-standing privacy challenges. Register now
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge, learn from experts, and protect your privacy.
The AI Steering Committee was formed to examine the impact of AI tools, including generative AI tools, on pedagogy, academic practices, and administrative operations within a higher education context. The committee is tasked with developing recommendations for how UBC should address the opportunities and challenges for increasing AI literacy and adoption.
What’s new: latest meeting highlights (September 2025) AI Trends, Development & Application: Faculty researchers presented perspectives on AI’s current state, covering ethical implications, technical advances like retrieval augmented generation, and predictions about exponential growth. Discussion emphasized protecting critical thinking skills and maintaining human oversight in AI adoption.
Gen AI Foundational Learning: HR presented a proposed learning package that includes a core course, micro-learning resources, conversation guides, and use-case examples. Needs assessments highlighted the importance of clear entry points and support for managers navigating cultural and emotional concerns about AI. Next steps include validating SMEs/content owners and reviewing whether the package should become required training.
Student AI Advisory Council Update: The newly formed council of 20 students has contributed to student-facing resources including “10 things students should know about generative AI” and a readiness assessment tool. These resource materials are being distributed through academic and student communication networks. Opportunities for future collaboration with the steering committee were discussed.
The next AI Steering Committee meeting will be in January 2026.
