Director of IT Chris Osier
When Chris Osier became director of IT (information technology) at Mercer Law School in 2019, he had a few major initiatives he wanted to put in place right away: restructuring the department and creating systems to make it run more smoothly. He developed goals and expectations for the IT staff which he felt were imperative to everyday operations and emergencies.
“My department is responsible for maintaining and/or managing almost every program and technology used at the law school today. The joke is we handle anything with a power plug,” Osier said. “Let me say that I would not be successful in the accomplishments we’ve made without the help of my team. I rarely handle a project all alone. I don’t think that is an effective way to run a department. The best solutions, in my opinion, always come from collaboration and communication.”
One of his first goals was to standardize and improve the student exam experience. Osier was determined to streamline and make uniform the way electronic exams are given. He and (at the time) the Dean of Students Alyssa Leffall created a new exam system. The system included standardizing how exam information was provided, assigning roles in the exam process, setting up a training program for proctors, and many other things. Having these systems in place was helpful when the pandemic forced faculty to use more technology in their teaching. As a result, Zoom, a communications platform that allows users to connect with video, audio, and chat, and Canvas, a course management system that supports online learning and teaching, have become a part of most classes, and professors are now using more diverse forms of assessments.
“I am very student experience orientated. I believe that IT should help alleviate their IT worries. I want the students to have the best law school experience that they can possibly have during the time they are here.”
As IT in higher education continues to evolve, Osier continues to consider new technology that should be put in place at the Law School. And, of course, there is always the issue of upgrading current technology.
“As with any project,” he said, “I like to get input from different people – faculty, staff, and students – who use the space and then tailor the technology to provide the maximum support.”
Osier and his team also provide services for the Law School community outside of the walls of the Law School. One of the more notable services was an early rollout of live-streaming graduation for family members who were not able to attend in person. “Even though it was basic by today’s standards, it worked well. It was nice to have that solution already in place when COVID hit.” Last year, Mercer School of Medicine reached out to Osier for help live-streaming their commencement ceremonies.
“Having our own IT staff at the Law School is vital and Chris is the perfect leader for the team,” said Professor of Law Steve Johnson. “He spends a lot of time keeping up with the state-of-the-art in law school technology and works well with the faculty and students to determine what tools are needed and can be implemented within the available budget. Chris and his team are successful because they are personable and communicate well with all the constituencies at the Law School, which is probably why Chris was picked to chair the Law School’s Social Committee. And he’ll only advise you to ‘turn it off and turn it back on again’ when that really is the solution to your IT problem.”
Osier is originally from Ticonderoga, NY, but because his father was in the US Air Force, he lived in few different places growing up, including New York, Germany, and Georgia. Before coming to Mercer Law School in April 2011, he ran an IT department in the healthcare field. He has worked every job in the Law School IT department (AV/classroom support specialist, systems manager, and now director). He is married to Ashley, a kindergarten teacher, and they have a daughter named Liliana.
