University of Utah: Replacing Two Decades of Manual Faculty Reporting with Symplectic Elements

The University of Utah (The U) is the state’s flagship public research university, founded in 1850 and a member of the Association of American Universities. Its faculty of over 8,429 spans 17 colleges and nearly 100 departments, producing work that ranges from data-heavy engineering studies to theatre productions and gallery exhibitions.

After two decades on a home-built faculty activity reporting system, the university selected Symplectic Elements following a tender in 2023. This case study looks at how The U replaced manual reporting across its two most complex colleges – Engineering and Fine Arts – and what has changed two years on.

What this case study covers
  • How Utah automated publication harvesting to replace manual entry and produce metrics faculty could trust 
  • How to consistently capture creative works and non-traditional outputs without flattening what makes them unique
  • How data from annual reviews is now feeding institution-level analysis, informing strategic decisions for the Provost and President
Quotes icon
“Symplectic Elements’ publication harvesting is honestly the best I’ve seen. I don’t think anyone else compares.”
Brittany Coats
Associate Vice Provost for Faculty, University of Utah