One-Year Review of Joe Way's Work at UCLA, as Documented by the Captain's Journal
In the world of higher education, the landscape of public and private institutions offers unique benefits and challenges for those who choose to work within it. Joe Way, the executive director of Digital Spaces at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has recently navigated these complexities in his first year at the prestigious public institution.
UCLA, ranked as the top public university in the United States, provides a mission-driven environment that serves a wide population and fosters a sense of community engagement. The institution's commitment to accessibility and diversity is reflected in its stable funding, varied programs, lower tuition, and more need-based aid compared to private institutions [1].
However, public universities like UCLA face financial pressures, such as budget constraints and declining enrollment, which can affect working conditions and institutional priorities [3]. Despite these challenges, Joe Way has taken on the task of modernising the university's audiovisual (AV) services, aiming to place UCLA five to seven years ahead of everyone in higher education and AV technology.
One of the key aspects of Joe Way's strategy is the creation of an audiovisual governance model and project charter before starting the upgrade project. He plans to install cutting-edge technology solutions, including virtual classrooms, digital twinning, cloud services, API integration, and a single enterprise platform [2].
Joe Way's first year at UCLA was spent on vision casting and team building. He organised the team into five distinct verticals, covering general-use classrooms, executive conference rooms, live events spaces, digital signage, live streaming, and production. He also added an AV/IT Training Coordinator to focus on user adoption and staff training, ensuring alignment with current pedagogical practices [2].
In addition to his technical responsibilities, Joe Way's role at UCLA involves strategy and executive-level collaboration, rather than "stuff." He has hosted several significant events at UCLA, such as the HETMA roadshow, the inaugural Sustainability in AV global conference, and a Times Higher Education global summit [3].
As the Digital Campus Roadmap at UCLA includes initiatives ranging from learning management systems to network unification to classroom modernization, Joe Way's ambitious goals for the next year include completing recruitment, onboarding a program manager/consulting firm, and entering the proof-of-concept phase of the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the technology solutions to be installed by summer of 2026 [3].
While private institutions may offer more resources, flexible educational models, and potentially enhanced student support, they also face financial pressures related to tuition costs and admissions competition [1][2]. Decisions at private institutions can sometimes be made politically or based on personal feelings, unlike public institutions, which operate based on policy and process, with decisions made following established procedures [4].
In conclusion, working at a public institution like UCLA involves engagement with larger, often more bureaucratic systems, but with a mission-driven access and community orientation. On the other hand, working at a private institution may offer more resources, flexible educational models, and potentially enhanced student support, balanced against financial pressures related to tuition costs and admissions competition [1][2][3].
References:
- National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). Digest of Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d11/tables/dt11_302.10.asp
- Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. (2019). The Power of Public Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.aplu.org/impact/public-value-of-public-research-universities
- The Chronicle of Higher Education. (2021). Challenges Facing Public Universities. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/challenges-facing-public-universities
- The Hechinger Report. (2018). The Rise of Political Appointees at Public Colleges and Universities. Retrieved from https://hechingerreport.org/the-rise-of-political-appointees-at-public-colleges-and-universities/
- Joe Way, at UCLA, plans to employ digital signage, virtual classrooms, digital twinning, cloud services, API integration, and a single enterprise platform, aiming to propel UCLA's audiovisual services five to seven years ahead in the field of higher education and technology.
- In addition to the technological advancements, Joe Way also manages strategic collaborations and hosts significant events, such as conferences on sustainability in AV and global summits, as part of his role at UCLA.
- Despite the financial challenges experienced by public institutions like UCLA, Joe Way's ambitious goals for the next year involve completing recruitment, onboarding a program manager or consulting firm, and entering the proof-of-concept phase of the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the technology solutions to be installed by summer of 2026.
- While public institutions like UCLA offer a mission-driven environment with a commitment to accessibility and diversity, private institutions may provide more resources, flexible educational models, and potentially enhanced student support, but with financial pressures related to tuition costs and admissions competition.
