Nearly 600 UC employees across campuses, medical centers and UCOP contributed to last year’s UC Tech survey. Their responses reveal who UC Tech News readers are, what topics and tools matter most, and how they prefer to receive UC Tech information. The results confirm steady engagement with UC Tech News, point to growth areas for professional development and highlight opportunities to improve event awareness.
Survey methods
The UC Tech News team extends gratitude to nearly 600 UC community members who shared feedback on their demographics, professional interests and communications preferences when it comes to technology topics. In addition to annual email surveys, interviews and focus groups provided a deeper understanding of responses. UC community members from across the system participated, ensuring broad representation of both central IT staff and those working in distributed departments. This diversity helps guide editorial direction and event production and communications in 2025.
Conclusions and possible next steps:
- Reinforce UC Tech News as a primary hub for tech news, events and job opportunities, ensuring consistent visibility across the UC community.
- Prioritize artificial intelligence, data and analytics, information securit, and staff professional in editorial planning, while also featuring accessibility and sustainability other key topics/themes.
- Highlight leading intests in the leader’s strategeic perspective and growth/stretch opporunities to learn on the job, along with popular learn methods, including UC Extension and the UC Women’s Initiative — to support staff skill development.
- Increase awareness and participation in key events, especially those related to AI and Accessiblity, especially important in light of New regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act that will impact UC starting April 24, 2026, and even Sustainability
- Support UC leaders in enabling professional growth by encouraging them to provide time and funding, align strategy and recognize development milestones.
The results, by category, are described above along with visual highlights representing the UC Tech community. These findings have guided editorial planning, event promotion and leadership support strategies in 2025, and we look forward to learning more as 2025 unfolds.
Demographics
UC Tech News is reaching a broad and diverse community, with largely technology staff 990%) at the university, represented a range of roles and levels, with individual contributors making up the majority, alongside managers, directors and supervisors. The data also shows how IT staff are structured: most report centrally to a CIO, while a significant portion are embedded within distributed departments. These demographic insights provide important context for understanding the perspectives behind survey responses and the mix of technical and tech-adjacent voices reflected in UC Tech News readership.
- Role: ~90% of tech readers identify as staff (vs. faculty or students)
- HR designation: About 70% are classified as “tech” by HR, while the other 30% hold highly technical roles outside that designation
- Job level: Nearly 60% are individual contributors
- Reporting structure: Roughly 70% of HR-designated tech employees report through a CIO, while 30% do not
UC Tech News Readership
Reporting Structure: Roughly 70:30 split among IT staff who report through a CIO and those who do not
Roles
Interests and Preferences
Survey results show that UC Tech professionals are focused on advancing both their technical expertise and their engagement with broader cultural topics. Artificial intelligence, data and analytics, and information security led the list of technical priorities, while staff also expressed strong interest in training opportunities and cloud technologies. At the same time, respondents elevated themes such as accessibility, sustainability and heritage months, showing that community and inclusion are key drivers alongside technology. Responses also revealed the training tools UC staff rely on most, from LinkedIn Learning and Coursera to UC-based programs like the Learning Center and the UC Women’s Initiative, which remain central to ongoing professional development.
Top Tech Topics
The five most selected technology areas were AI, data and analytics, information security, staff development and training, and cloud migration. Survey results show strong alignment between UC’s tech and non-tech communities. Artificial Intelligence and Data, Analytics & Business are top interests across both groups, underscoring their importance to UC’s future. Notably, Accessibility also emerged as a leading priority, highlighting the need for inclusive approaches in technology and beyond.
Community Themes
Learning Platforms
UC Programs
Communication Behaviors
The survey also asked how UC Tech community members consume information and what helps them engage with professional opportunities. Results confirm that the UC Tech News weekly newsletter remains the leading channel, followed by conferences and webinars, which extend networking and collaboration. Awareness of major events varied, with the UC Tech Conference and Cybersecurity Summit leading recognition, while others such as GAAD and the UC Tech Academy showed room for stronger promotion. Respondents also identified what they need most from leadership to grow — prioritizing time and funding for training, clear strategic alignment and opportunities to take on new challenges.
Leadership Support
Top Channels
Event Awareness
Learn more
For the full results, please see the complete survey slide deck. Questions or suggestions can be sent to UCITblog@ucop.edu. Thank you to everyone who contributed to shaping the year ahead for the UC Tech community.
Related reading
- 2023 UC IT Blog survey results – UC Tech community members + UC staff
- 2022 UC IT Blog survey results – UC tech community members
- 2017 UC IT Blog survey results – UC tech community members
Contact
Marketing and Strategic Communications Director
UC Office of the President
Author
Digital Design and Engagement Intern
UC Office of the President
