Building Community with INDEX
In this episode of ET Talk, CIO Cole Camplese sits down with Kati Elliott and Matt Jorgenson to explore the story behind INDEX, UT Austin's Inter-Departmental Exchange program. What began as an effort to bring teams together during organizational change has grown into a campus-wide initiative that helps employees build relationships, share knowledge, and strengthen collaboration across departments.
The conversation examines how INDEX creates opportunities for participants to connect through social, professional, and mentoring tracks, fostering a sense of community in an increasingly hybrid workplace. Kati and Matt share personal experiences, discuss the program's evolution through COVID-19 and beyond, and highlight the value of building trust and understanding before collaboration is needed on a project.
Together, they reflect on how meaningful workplace relationships can improve collaboration, support employee growth and retention, and help create a stronger, more connected university community.