About

With strategic positioning at the intersection of undergraduate education, pedagogy, and research technology, RTL Commons operates under a matrixed approach to governance through campus collaboration with faculty, academic partners, staff, and students.

Academic Technology Governance in Undergraduate Education

The lean academic technology governance emphasizes multidirectional discovery and communication with clear alignment to domain-specific (i.e., Undergraduate Education, Teaching & Learning, Research) and institutional priorities. Decision-making and funding requests/allocation sit within the Division of Undergraduate Education.

While academic technology decisions reside explicitly within the academic leadership structure, this work happens in close collaboration with an array of relevant partners, including the Library, Registrar, Research, Academic Senate, and central IT.

The academic technology governance process is organized into four phases, which are distinct but often overlap as a feedback loop:

• Need & Idea Generation: Through ongoing conversations and informal communication of need and emerging technologies.
• Vetting & Alignment: Technologies assessed for strategic alignment, feasibility, security, privacy, and accessibility.
• Implementation: Proceed with pilots or deployment after agreement reached. Requests for new funding are made through the UE budget proposal process.
• Feedback & Adjustment: Continuous, bidirectional communication ensures ongoing alignment with priorities.

In summary: the academic technology governance structure affirms the university's commitment to ensuring that academic information technologies align with the academic mission. It is anchored in its relevance to the university's core mission, driven by the specific goals and purposes of its primary stakeholders: faculty and students.

Advisory Groups and Campus Partnerships

RTL Commons prioritizes the voices of instructors, researchers, students, and staff to drive the strategic direction of their needs at Berkeley. Given these multiple stakeholders, we take advantage of a network of senate and advisory groups who provide input and guidance to ensure our work enhances research, teaching and learning and supports effective decision-making that aligns with the campus mission. These groups include:

• Academic Senate Committee on Teaching (COT)
• Academic Senate Committee on Technology (CIT)
• Berkeley Research Community
• Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty Advisors
• Classroom Study Group / CCPM
• Instructional Resilience and Enhancement Fee Advisory Group (IREF)
• KALX Advisory Board
• RTL Executive Advisory Group

Bi-annual Meetings

RTL Commons convenes a bi-annual open meeting with representatives from each of these above groups and partnerships under our RTL Commons Advisory Group to update our campus stakeholders about our progress in supporting the mission of the campus and to celebrate their valued contribution. We also take advantage of this group to identify user needs, advise us on strategy, and support us in various working groups.