Initiatives
Driving UND's digital future: CIO strategic initiatives.
At the University of North Dakota, technology is more than infrastructure - it's a driver of innovation, accessibility, and student success. Under the leadership of University IT (UIT), the following initiatives for 2026/2027 are shaping UND's digital transformation and ensuring campus community is equipped for the future.
Nebula UND
Nebula UND brings AI exploration at UND into one connected environment. It is designed to make it easier for students, faculty and staff to discover tools, share knowledge, test ideas, build solutions and learn from one another. Rather than treating AI as a single product, Nebula UND creates an ecosystem around responsible experimentation, collaboration and practical use.
UND Digital Storage Solutions
With the growing impact of digitization, rising data storage expenses, and ever-present cybersecurity threats, efficient and effective data and file storage management are crucial to support academic, research, and administrative activities. This discovery project aims to identify and analyze the data and file storage needs of faculty and staff at UND. By understanding the current usage patterns, challenges, and requirements, we aim to develop a comprehensive strategy for optimizing data storage and enhancing user experience.
Software Inventory
The Software Inventory Project is a strategic initiative to establish a centralized, governed inventory of all software and applications used across campus. With a focus on improving legal compliance, reducing cybersecurity risks, and enhancing operational efficiency, the first phase of the project will focus on software installed on devices for compliance, streamline software procurement, eliminate redundant tools, and ensure institutional data is secure and properly managed. The second phase of the project will focus on cloud solutions and software hosted at UND. By creating a unified system of record, UND will gain critical visibility into its digital ecosystem—supporting better change management, cost savings, and compliance.
Endpoint Management
University Information Technology will implement Microsoft Intune as the primary endpoint management and software distribution platform for UND-owned and managed endpoints. The initiative will modernize endpoint management by transitioning from legacy SCCM and Group Policy-centric practices to a cloud-enabled, phased co-management model. This change will reduce reliance on on-premises infrastructure, VPN-dependent administration, complex imaging, and manual configuration while improving device provisioning, application delivery, security policy enforcement, compliance visibility, reporting, lifecycle management, and support for remote and hybrid work.
Digital Accessibility
UIT is actively working toward improving digital accessibility across campus platforms. Part of that commitment is — was — and will continue to be making our information technology and digital content accessible for all.
Status Page
The UND University Information Technology Status Page Project will establish a centralized, authoritative platform for communicating real-time information about network outages, system maintenance, patches, and service disruptions. By consolidating critical updates in one accessible location, the initiative is intended to improve transparency, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and help the campus community quickly understand the status of essential technology services.