UIT Leadership Spotlight: Veronica Savage, learning systems manager, DLT Systems & Data Services

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Ogden and moved to Salt Lake in 2015.

What post-secondary degrees or certifications do you have, in what subjects, and from which schools?

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Weber State University, with a minor in civic advocacy with an emphasis on women’s advocacy.

What led you to the University of Utah?

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I graduated. I held a few admin assistant positions, including one at the U’s Department of Pathology, but those never felt right for me.

In every position I held, I always ended up spending a lot of my time helping others with technology, as I’ve always been well versed in it. I built my first website when I was 7 years old in 1998, and it’s still online (though I have no idea how)!

Around 2017, I decided that I wanted to utilize my technological skills in a field I cared about, education. I soon found a position providing technical support for Canvas at Instructure, which allowed me to become an expert in Canvas and online learning tools. After three years with Instructure, I started a new position with the Association for College and University Educators (ACUE) as its lead Canvas administrator.

I loved ACUE and its mission; however, as a New York-based organization, my position was fully remote, and after several years, I found it difficult not being able to see my co-workers as frequently as I would have liked. It just so happened that I came across a posting for a position for a learning systems manager for Digital Learning Technologies at the University of Utah. As much as I loved ACUE, the position at the U was irresistible, and I’m so glad I applied.

Can you describe the path you took to IT leadership?

During my first year as a student at Weber State University (WSU), none of my instructors utilized an online education platform. At the time, I found that the hardest part of being a student was keeping up with due dates and different submission types. Some instructors wanted files on a flash drive, some handwritten essays, and some required printed and typed submissions. In my second year, WSU acquired Canvas and encouraged instructors to adopt it. I found that the platform made it so much easier for me to keep track of my assignments and due dates, and I really appreciated the instructors who understood the platform. On the flip side, providing support at Instructure taught me a lot about the needs of instructors and what the learning systems experience is like for them.

These perspectives helped me shape the way I view learning systems as a leader. I want very much to be sure that our learning systems are tools that help students learn and help instructors teach. I believe they should make those things easier, and not just be another tool that gets in the way of education.

How would you describe your leadership style and/or philosophy?

Honesty and clear communication are the most important things for me as a leader. I want my team to know that I value them and their contributions, and that I’m here for them and will do anything I can to support them. Of course, it makes it easy having the incredible team that I do!

What do you enjoy most about your role at the U?

The people! Everyone at the U is intelligent and brings a unique perspective. I love that I learn something new from everyone I meet, and I love supporting instructors.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

At my previous position with ACUE, there were only about 100 employees total, which made changes simpler to approve and communicate. At the U, because we are such an incredibly large institution, there is a lot more to consider when it comes to approving changes and communicating them. There are times when a change that seems small and simple could snowball in unexpected areas. The biggest challenge for me has been learning to identify and plan for unknowns in the big picture.

What are some of your hobbies?

I love history and writing. I have been working on a history book since 2017 that takes up the bulk of my personal time. I also love writing essays, gardening, cooking, writing software to automate processes to help me with my book, historical research, arts and crafts, and collecting “Sailor Moon” memorabilia. I’m a busy bee!

Is there a fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?

If something I own breaks, I will take it apart and try to fix it myself. It’s already broken, so why not learn something?

Oh! And my first job was as a lifeguard at the pool where “The Sandlot” was filmed.

Is there anything else that you think our readers would like to know about you?

Please don’t hesitate to reach out! I love getting to know new people and finding creative solutions for problems.

 

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