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Oberlin College Desktop/Laptop Computer Replacement Plan, Policies, and Process

The College has established a central budget and procedures for the regular replacement of desktop and laptop computers for faculty and staff. The budget is also intended to replace printers and some peripheral devices. This document describes the policies and process for the implementation of these upgrades, and provides information regarding how individuals should go about making their computer needs known. The Information Technology Policy Committee will review and revise these policies as needed.

Some history

In the 1997-1998 academic year, both the General Faculty Educational Technology Committee and the Information Technology Policy Committee endorsed a College-wide plan to upgrade "desktop" computers on an average 4-year cycle. In the spring of 1999, this plan was formally funded for the 1999-2000 academic year.

Policies/guidelines for hardware replacements and upgrades

1. The replacement budget will reside within CIT budgets and "rollover" each fiscal year. Some administrative units may determine that additional equipment is needed outside of this process and may purchase hardware or software at their discretion.

2. The Director of Information Technology will be the final arbitrator of expenditures from the replacement budget. Input to CIT about purchase decisions will be provided by departmental and divisional administrators and (when necessary) the ITPC. Decisions will take into account existing inventory, available budget, and justification for upgrades. These departmental/divisional administrators are as follows:

Each of these administrative units will determine their own procedures and timeline for proposing and requesting upgrades (coordinated with Linda Iroff). Faculty and staff should consult with the appropriate administrator for the specific process. For example, the faculty and staff of Arts and Sciences will be solicited each academic semester for proposals. In the Conservatory, the Associate Dean prepares requests when deemed appropriate. Other units, such as the President's Office, the Libraries, and College Relations will work directly with Linda Iroff to determine a schedule for upgrades.

Small upgrade proposals, such as additional memory, hard drive space enhancements, etc., may be submitted at any time to the appropriate divisional or departmental administrator. If the administrator deems the request appropriate, he/she will submit it to CIT.

To ensure that all upgrades funded by the replacement budget are properly accounted for and tracked, all upgrade requests need to be sent to the Assistant to the Director of Information Technology, Linda Iroff. She will review them in consultation with appropriate individuals and forward them to the Director of Information Technology for approval.

3. It is acknowledged that a 4-year replacement cycle means an average 4-year replacement process; some computer units will be replaced sooner, some later. Budget constraints may sometimes require the average replacement time frame to be stretched to 5 years or longer.

4. Standard configurations for computers will be determined on a regular basis.

The current standard Windows machines are the Gateway desktop and laptop models; products from other Windows vendors are not provided or supported. Various model of the Apple Macintosh are also standard. All new machines will be configured with at least CD-RW/DVD-ROM ("combo") drives. External storage devices, such as USB "jump" drives may be provided as requested.

5. The central replacement budget will fund only one computer (desktop or laptop) per faculty or staff member. When a laptop computer is provided from the replacement budget, it will not normally include peripheral devices (external keyboard, monitor, mouse, docking station, extra batteries, etc.). A carrying case will be provided for laptops.

6. Networked printers and a scanner will be provided for shared use in a department. Printers, scanners and similar equipment will not normally be provided for individuals. A laptop may also be provided for shared use within a department.

7. DAT drives and centralized backup machines will not be funded by this budget.

8. Equipment purchased or replaced by the replacement budget is the property of the institution, not of the department or individual, and may be reassigned by CIT as needed. If the department wishes to keep the old equipment for other uses, a request must be made in writing.

9. There may be some "trickle down" machines used in faculty and staff offices. In some cases older machines may also be used for student employees or other uses, but they will not be considered as part of the 4-year replacement cycle and may not be fully supported by CIT.

10. Both departmental and public student labs will be upgraded every 3 - 4 years, determined by need and budget. CIT will determine these upgrades in consultation with the GF Educational Technology Committee, ITPC, and users (students, faculty, and staff) of the facilities.

11. Computer enhancements (additional RAM, additional disk space, etc.) may be used to prolong a specific computer's useful life.

Policies/guidelines for software provisions and upgrades

1. Standard software configurations will be determined, modified, and publicized on a regular basis. Each faculty/staff workstation, either desktop or laptop, will be provided the standard configuration at the time of installation. Upgrades to the standard software may be requested when appropriate.

The current configuration includes the Microsoft Office Suite, virus detection software, web browser and other appropriate network utilities.

2. When requested and justified, the replacement budget may pay for additional utility software. These software packages may alternatively be made available via a shared centralized server when appropriate.

3. Faculty who need specialized curricular or research software installed on their computers should make these needs known at the time of their request, with explanation. These requests are considered on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the appropriate Associate Dean. The replacement budget will fund these purchases only when funding permits. Expensive and/or limited use software should be purchased using other budgetary sources.