Though it originated in 2023 as an Advisory Committee dedicated to the Google Workspace Service Adjustments initiative, the committee was officially expanded in early 2025 to include all collaboration tools.
The primary goal of the reimagined Collaboration Tools Advisory Committee will be to facilitate cross-campus discussions to help guide the vision and development of UCLA’s Collaboration, Productivity and Workplace Products suite.
This committee will convene on a regular cadence to provide organizational insight, feedback and collaboration for ongoing product governance and strategic initiatives. The committee representatives will be crucial partners in helping the Digital & Technology Solutions (DTS) project team maintain a product portfolio that meets the needs of the diverse UCLA entities it serves, as well as advancing the mission of the University’s digital strategy.
Collaboration Tools Advisory Committee Members
Committee Charter
Overview, Scope, and Function
The Collaboration, Productivity & Workplace Products Advisory Committee will help guide the vision and development of UCLA’s Collaboration product suite.
This committee will convene on a regular cadence to provide organizational insight, feedback and collaboration for ongoing product governance and strategic initiatives. The committee representatives will be crucial partners in helping the Digital & Technology Solutions (DTS) project team maintain a product portfolio that meets the needs of the diverse UCLA entities it serves, as well as advancing the mission of the University’s digital strategy.
Scope and Function
In alignment with the university’s mission and the campus IT strategy, as established by the DTS project team, the Collaboration Tools Advisory Committee will support two key objectives by providing guidance and representing the voice of their constituents:
Ongoing Product Governance
- System upgrades and/or new feature approval and release
- Service model management
- Roadmap refinement
- Policy review and development
- Issue management
Strategic Initiatives & Product Optimization
- Assess and prioritize operational improvement initiatives and identified system optimization recommendations
Member Responsibilities
Each member is expected to:
- Attend all meetings, or secure a designee to attend on their behalf
- Inform and engage in the development of product strategy
- Provide user and use case insights to ensure products meet the needs of campus partners
- Make timely decisions and/or recommendations
- Champion the vision and value of digital initiatives to respective departments
- Review upcoming communications
- Expected time commitment: 2 –3 hours per month
Membership
The committee members below have been identified based on their role, expertise and campus affiliation to represent their designated University stakeholders:
- Research: Eleanor Koehl
- Student: Noah Clausen
- Staff: Heath Hewitt, Dave Margolis, Joseph Luk
- Faculty Information Products: Suzie Sargsyan
- Learning Technology: Neda Behzadi
- Alumni: Brandie Barrera, Ying Ma
- HR: Nidia Goitia
- Student Affairs: Arun Pasricha
- IT Security: Ernesto Carrasco
- Privacy: Ross Janssen
- Library: Todd Grappone
- BruinTech: Stephen Mills
- DGIT: Ibraheem Ali
Subcommittees may be established on an as-needed basis to engage in focused discussions and collaborative working sessions to advance initiatives related to specific campus partners.
Committee and subcommittee membership will be re-evaluated at least annually, or as necessitated by the scope of ITS projects.
Meetings
Meetings are generally held biweekly. Visitors, such as presenters and other guests are invited to attend at the discretion of the chair.
Documentation and Reporting
The program team will provide relevant data, considerations, and recommendations for key discussion items presented to the Advisory Committee (e.g., decisions, risks, issues). The program team will also provide regular application updates to support ongoing product portfolio governance.
The committee publishes relevant documentation of its proceedings. Materials, such as schedules, agendas, summaries, and reference materials are assumed public unless declared confidential, privileged, or otherwise limited by the chair or legal counsel.
