The University of California (UC) is pleased to announce the use of Amazon Web Services (AWS) to bolster the university’s technological capabilities across its 10 campuses, six academic health centers and other healthcare settings. Leveraging the breadth and depth of AWS technologies has enabled UC to enhance educational outcomes, power groundbreaking research, and better serve students, faculty, healthcare providers and patients, and the broader California community.
“As one of the world’s premier public research university systems, the University of California is committed to harnessing the power of cloud technology to drive discovery, improve efficiencies, and enhance the overall experience for our students, faculty, staff, and health centers,” said Van Williams, UC Vice President, Information Technology. “By leveraging Amazon Web Services cloud technologies, we are at the forefront of digital innovation in higher education, setting an example for other institutions to follow.”
Universities rely on public-private collaborations to take innovation to the next level. This effort has already yielded substantial improvements in UC’s technological infrastructure across admissions processing, donor engagement and fundraising, and veterinary care.
UC Admissions Portal
With its legacy admissions portal struggling to meet demand in peak application periods, UC initiated an ambitious cloud migration to AWS in June 2022. What typically would have been a yearlong process was compressed into just six weeks, showcasing UC’s commitment to innovation and student accessibility. The impact of the migration was immediate: in November 2022, the new cloud-based system seamlessly processed an unprecedented number of applications during the final week and closing hour, when intense applicant surges often occur. With AWS, the admissions office continues to breeze through UC’s final application week. As of November 30, 2024, the system processed a record 245,963 applications—including 14,420 in the final hour, ensuring broad access and peace of mind to student applicants and their families. This cloud migration demonstrates the power of strategic technological modernization – enhancing user experience, reducing costs, and setting a systemwide example for digital transformation in record time.
UCLA Donor Relations and Fundraising
UCLA’s Office of Advancement transformed fundraising operations with AWS-powered generative AI, advancing the University’s transformation efforts in emerging technology. This has delivered impressive results: a 25% improvement in fundraising efficiency and a 30% increase in donor engagement, while maintaining strict data security and donor privacy standards. This successful implementation demonstrates how strategic digital transformation helps UC campuses advance their mission through cutting-edge technology.
Veterinary Care
The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital upgraded its communication system with Amazon Connect—bringing measurable improvements in service, reliability, and operational insight. The cloud-based omnichannel contact center solution has eliminated outages, reduced costs, and enhanced reporting flexibility, giving staff better tools to manage call volumes and improve the client experience. Key upgrades include a more user-friendly management interface, improved accuracy in estimating wait times, and the ability to send SMS messages with direct links to driving directions, making it easier than ever for clients to connect with care. This successful transformation highlights UC’s commitment to modern, scalable solutions that strengthen service delivery across specialized university facilities.
“The University of California system is transforming educational excellence through cloud innovation. UC’s current implementation of AWS demonstrates real-time improvements across university and medical operations – from a more efficient student admissions process to enhanced patient care services. Under VP Van Williams’ leadership, UC is achieving measurable gains in efficiency and service delivery. Working together in this active public-private collaboration showcases how we can deliver meaningful innovation today for students, faculty, and staff across one of the world’s premier public university systems,” said Kim Majerus, Vice President, Global Education, US State, and Local Government at AWS.
Comprehensive Suite of Cloud Services
Under this five-year agreement, effective January 1, 2023, AWS offers UC campuses and medical centers its comprehensive suite of cloud services, including compute, storage, database, analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence capabilities at significant cost savings.
Compliance and Data Security Assurances
To ensure compliance with data protection regulations, UC has implemented guidelines for deploying AWS services, particularly when handling sensitive data types. These guidelines outline important vendor and UC responsibilities, guidance on acceptable data storage based on requirements and specific contract protections, and details on UC-wide constraints and campus-specific flexibilities.
Further enabling UC’s digital transformation, the agreement also includes complimentary AWS certification training for employees to empower the UC workforce with the skills and expertise needed to effectively implement AWS services and build cloud-native applications.
UC is committed to leading in cutting-edge cloud technologies through its collaboration with AWS and enhancing its educational and research missions, while ensuring cost-effectiveness and data security.
For more information about AWS solutions for higher education, visit: https://aws.amazon.com/education/
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Contact
For more information or to request AWS support, please contact:
UC Office of the President
Website: UC Information Technology Services | Amazon Web Services
Email: central-authority@ucop.edu
Media Contact:
Website: UC Strategic and Critical Communications
Email: media@ucop.edu
[Caption: A foster kitten of the student-run Orphan Kitten Project at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Photo by Don Preisler, UC Davis]