Building Relationships Through IT Integration

Executive Summary

In 2024, Gonzaga University embarked on a transformative journey to modernize its IT support model by integrating the School of Business Administration’s (SBA) dedicated IT staff into the centralized Information Technology Services (ITS) department. This transition was not merely a structural adjustment—it was a strategic reimagining of how IT services could be delivered more effectively, equitably, and sustainably across the university. While SBA had long benefited from a dedicated and talented IT team, the university recognized an opportunity to enhance service delivery and align IT operations with broader institutional goals through a shared services model.

Designing a Thoughtful Transition

The decision to transition to a shared services model was driven by a commitment to improving the quality, scalability, and consistency of IT services across the university. While SBA had long benefited from a dedicated and highly skilled IT team, their work was often constrained by limited access to enterprise-level tools and broader institutional support. These limitations became especially apparent during periods of peak demand and created barriers to staff development. Recognizing these challenges, the university sought a more sustainable and supportive model—one that would not only enhance service delivery but also invest in the long-term growth and success of IT professionals.

This transition was part of a broader university initiative to align and modernize support services. Over several months, ITS and SBA leadership collaborated closely to design a thoughtful plan that preserved the strong relationships between SBA and ITS staff while integrating them into the larger ITS ecosystem. Borre Ulrichsen, CIO, committed to three guiding principles to support this change: maintaining a dedicated IT presence in the Jepson office, ensuring that service quality and response times would not decline, and implementing a gradual transition to minimize disruption to daily operations.

Rob Joyce, longtime IT professional in SBA, credits the success of the transition to ITS’s commitment to these principles and their consistent follow-through.

 

Borre agreed that there would always be a person located in the School of Business, that the service would not degrade, and that we’d take a long transition period. ITS has fulfilled all three of those things completely—100%.

Ismael Teshome, who helped lead the transition, emphasized the importance of maintaining service quality and understanding SBA’s unique needs.

“We know the School of Business had good support, and we wanted to maintain that good support even through the change. So that was one of my goals," said Ismael Teshome, Senior Director Service Management, "I really wanted to make sure we’re taking the time to understand the needs of the School of Business so that we’re not just switching to operating like central IT does and losing sight of the big picture.”

Lesson Learned: Communicating Seamless Change

As we reflect on the transition of IT support within the School of Business Administration, we’re encouraged by how smoothly the technical shift was executed. Our goal was to make the change seamless for faculty and staff—and in many ways, that objective was achieved. At the same time, we learned that even the most well-orchestrated transitions benefit from clear, proactive communication.

While the day-to-day experience for end users remained largely unchanged, we heard that a simple message introducing Rob Joyce’s new role and reinforcing continuity in services would have helped set expectations and build confidence.

This experience reinforced an important insight: transparency matters, even when disruption is minimal. Going forward, we’re committed to pairing operational excellence with clear communication, ensuring our campus community feels informed, supported, and engaged throughout every change—big or small.

The Big Win

According to Ulrichsen, the greatest success of this initiative is that it wasn’t a trade-off—it was a “both/and” solution. SBA retained the personalized, responsive IT support it values, while gaining access to a broader pool of expertise and resources. Meanwhile, ITS gained deeper insight into the specific needs of SBA, enhancing its ability to serve the entire university.

 

“It’s not just fulfilling the tickets. It’s being in a relationship with the people, seeing the needs, and being proactive about communication.”

 

Ken Anderson, SBA’s Dean, reflected on the transition’s impact:

Partnership and Progress

This partnership exemplifies how Gonzaga can bring together the strengths of individual schools or departments and central units to deliver better service, improve efficiency, and support its people. It reflects the university’s commitment to collaboration, innovation, and service excellence—core values that drive its mission.

Most importantly, it demonstrates that shared services, when implemented thoughtfully, don’t dilute local support—they strengthen it.