By the time he retired, McRae was helping to oversee a campus technology infrastructure in which everything from grass-planting schedules to molecular modeling runs on computers, and the Internet is as essential to teaching as the blackboard once was. He knows his business, and knows where technology is headed. Every time I raise an issue, Walter points out that he had anticipated that need five years earlier. As chief information officer, McRae oversaw University Computing and Networking Services. McRae pushed for increased use of technology for academic and instructional purposes.
Students work in computer labs throughout campus, and many classrooms are wired for computer access.
The Internet, WebCT and other computer-based services are standard tools. Colleagues say one of McRae's greatest contributions was decentralizing the university's computer operations. And through working cooperatively with administrators, faculty and staff, he has created a more positive and user-friendly information technology environment on campus. Ware and others also credit McRae with creating a strong governance structure for information-technology services. The Information Technology Policy Board makes recommendations directly to the provost on strategic policies, investment priorities and operational standards.