2026 Annual Survey

Expanded Summary of Results

In May 2026, Information Technology Services surveyed the UT Health Sciences community to understand how technology is working for them and where we can improve. We gathered feedback on everyday tools, campus connectivity, classroom technology, support services, and emerging technologies like AI.

Here's what we learned.

Who Responded

• Nearly 200 people took the survey, mostly from our Memphis campus.
• Staff made up just under half of respondents, with faculty and students representing the rest.
• Most respondents are on campus 2–5 days per week.
• Responses came from across the university, with the largest groups from Academic Affairs, Faculty & Student Affairs, Medicine, and Research units.

How We're Doing Overall

• People are largely satisfied with ITS services. Satisfaction, effectiveness, and responsiveness scores all landed above 4.3 on a 5-point scale.
• About 9 out of 10 respondents gave us a top rating on at least one major measure.
• Responsiveness stood out as our strongest area—people feel heard, and their issues get resolved.

Connectivity and Campus Network Access

• Wired internet speed is solid and works well for most people.
• Wi-Fi and wired reliability have room for improvement, especially in the GEB, Translational Research Building, and several other campus locations.
• The VPN works smoothly for most users to get access to restricted university resources, though some experience occasional disconnects or connection failures that need attention.

Productivity and Collaboration Tools

• People are happy with the core tools: Excel, Microsoft 365, Outlook, Zoom, and OneDrive are working well and widely used.
• Some tools feel harder to use or less reliable—Simple Syllabus, Blackboard, Mediasite, and our analytics platforms are getting mixed reviews.
• Common complaints include difficulty finding information, poor integration between tools, browser compatibility issues, and the need for better training.
• The biggest priorities are making academic technology more stable, setting clearer standards for how to use collaboration tools, and making AI more practical and accessible.

Classroom and Academic Technology

• Some tools are causing repeated problems—Simple Syllabus, Blackboard, Mediasite, and PollEverywhere top the list. These issues directly affect teaching and learning.
• Classroom challenges tend to be location-specific rather than widespread, especially in the GEB.
• After-hours support for online teaching needs strengthening, and some audiovisual equipment needs updating or recalibration.

Blackboard

• People appreciate the support and training we provide for Blackboard.
• However, many describe Blackboard itself as outdated and complicated compared to more modern learning management systems.
• Leadership should consider whether focused improvements can reduce frustration or whether a broader platform review is needed.

Support Services and Help Channels

• Our support team is genuinely appreciated—people trust our skills, responsiveness, and follow-through.
• The real challenge is the complexity of getting help. There are too many pathways (ITS, DASH, TDX, TLC, TechConnect) and it's not always clear which door to knock on.
• TechConnect is useful when people know about it and use it, but it hasn't yet become the go-to place for routine help.
• We need better knowledge search, guided help options, live chat, and clearer communication about where to find help.

Cybersecurity Awareness and Concerns

• People recognize real risks: Phishing and social engineering are seen as the top threats, followed by accidental data leaks.
• Users want practical guidance tied to their everyday work—how to handle sensitive information, recognize phishing, use cloud storage safely, and stay secure on public Wi-Fi.
• Cybersecurity training should remain focused on real, relevant behaviors rather than general awareness.

Artificial Intelligence Tools and Adoption

• AI is already helping with routine work: Drafting documents and emails, research, summarization, and meeting preparation are the most common uses.
• Microsoft Copilot is the most widely used AI tool.
• More advanced uses like coding, automation, and database design are still rare.
• People need clearer guidance on which AI tools to use, how to use them for their specific role, what's approved, and how different tools integrate with their work.

What People Want Next

• The feedback shows solid satisfaction with current services, but also clear demand for newer, more powerful tools—especially AI, premium productivity software, and content-creation tools.
• People also gave us feedback about the survey itself, saying that it was too long and complex.
• People want to see follow-up. Let them know what we're doing about their feedback, what we can and cannot fix, and what progress we've made.

2026 Priorities

• Keep the strong, human-centered support we have while making it easier for people to find and request help.
• Fix the highest-impact problems first rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. Focus on the locations and tools where people struggle the most.
• Set clear standards so people know which tools to use and how. This especially applies to collaboration, file sharing, meetings, support, classroom technology, and AI.
• Modernize where it matters most: Learning management system, lecture capture, collaboration tools, AI, analytics, and training all need strategic attention.
• Close the loop. Share results, explain what we're doing, be honest about what we can't do, and keep the community updated on progress.