UTM’s IT team led rapid, tri-campus technology shift during pandemic
In an unpredictable year when the university had to abruptly pivot its methods, UTM’s Information and Instructional Technology (I&ITS) department faced enormous pressure to quickly equip the entire campus with online resources that were not only reliable but also provided high levels of cybersecurity to protect community members and their valuable work.
The person at the helm was I&ITS Director Luke Barber.
Already deep into fulfilling their 2020 goals to renew campus infrastructure and reduce the maintenance backlog UTM’s growth generated, Barber’s team found themselves taking on an unexpected additional set of priorities as the COVID-19 pandemic set in, including supporting staff, faculty, librarians and students transferring to a new remote culture.
Upgrading all the classrooms on campus with professional camera systems to support remote instructional delivery required Barber to navigate supply chains for highly in-demand items and co-ordinate multiple contractors.
The UTM Zoom implementation was such a success that Barber and his team took the lead rolling out the system to the rest of the tri-campus community, with all support personnel trained by the UTM team.
“Many of U of T’s divisional IT professionals regularly and repeatedly seek Luke’s leadership, knowledge, experience and counsel,” says Susan Senese, executive director, Strategy, UTM. “Particularly as UTM is historically an early adopter of many technologies prior to wider spread deployment.”
For his efforts, Barber has earned the Chancellor’s Award in Emerging Leadership.
“Luke is a very deserving recipient of this award,” says UTM Chief Administrative Officer Saher Fazilat, who nominated him. “He is an excellent leader and sets a wonderful example for those around him. He always does a great job sharing his experience and knowledge with his team.”
His ability to lead his team through this challenging time is thanks in part to his ongoing personal growth plan to acquire new professional skills, including more than 20 programs through the U of T School of Continuing Studies — from Risk Assessment, to Italian, to Leading Projects.
In 2019, Barber completed his Masters of Business Administration at U of T’s Rotman School of Management, with Dean’s List honours.
“Not only does Luke actively pursue his own development, he is an extreme advocate for the professional development and learning of his team,” says Senese. “He is a great example of the saying, ‘Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.’ He has made sure that his team has both the tools and the professional development required to do their jobs and advance in their careers.”
Through all of his responsibilities, he also finds time for his community, acting as co-chair of the United Way UTM Campaign in 2014-15, raising more than $140k for United Way Peel.
He also seeks opportunities to expand and share his knowledge, participating in both the Project Management Institute Toronto Chapter and Rose Patten Leadership mentoring programs. Barber has also been chosen for the 2021 cohort of the CUCCIO Leadership Development Program, a network of higher-education Chief Information Officers across the country.
“Anyone who aspires to be a leader could not do much better in looking at the path Luke has taken,” says I&ITS Client Services Senior Manager Anthony Betts. “I look forward to what we will achieve collectively under his leadership.”