Important OIT security change

Important IT Security Change for Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Assistants

Effective Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the Office of Information Technology is implementing a plan to secure account access to all University-owned computers.

What’s changing

• All College-provided computers will move from administrative accounts to standard user accounts
• You will log in as a standard user going forward

Why this is happening

• To better protect student, faculty, staff, donor, and research data
• To reduce risks from ransomware and malicious software
• To comply with UGA, USG, and granting agency security requirements
• Similar changes are already in place in other UGA colleges

What this means for your work

• No impact on daily tasks: You can continue using Office 365, Zoom, browsers, and accessing your files as usual
• Software installs and updates:
  • OIT will assist you with installing software and updates—in some cases, allowing just-in-time updates remotely
  • All changes will be logged (by policy requirements)

Need permanent admin access?

• Persistent administrative access will be rare and by exception only
• Requires:
  • A completed IT Policy Exception Request Form
  • Confirmation that required security tools are installed
  • Dean/department head/director approval
• Exceptions are logged, audited, and reviewed annually

Timeline and support

• OIT will contact departments with specific transition timelines ahead of April 1
• For questions or exception requests, contact the OIT Help Desk