CRP Purpose

The purpose of the Computer Renewal Plan (CRP) is to ensure that faculty, staff and students have access to the computer technology necessary for their University work and study. Toward this end, the CRP will provide all full-time faculty and staff with access to appropriately current and robust computers, thus ensuring access to present and planned network operating systems and software applications. Because student computer labs are venues for student access to computers, existing public and departmental computer labs are included in this program.

General Guidelines  

• Public and department computer labs along with podiums in classrooms are eligible for replacement on a 4 year cycle.
• CRP is intended to provide full-time faculty and staff with one current technology level mobile computer funded at the University level.
• Faculty or staff will be provided with a port replicator, keyboard, one standard monitor, and a carrying case. All other peripherals will need to be purchased out of the department budgets.
• Adjunct faculty, graduate assistants, student assistants and others who do not require full-time use of computing resources or who use a pooled computer resource will receive appropriate level computers from a recycled central inventory.
• Departments requesting changes to university standard hardware configurations should present a written justification, approved by the department Chair or Director, to Information Technology for review and if approved the additional cost will be paid out of the department budget.
• Faculty and staff computers must be returned to university central inventory when a machine is replaced, or an employee leaves the university. An evaluation will be made of the lab computers to determine if they will remain in service for an additional period of time.
• Existing computers returned to the central inventory will be evaluated and used for emergency replacements or for shared access as noted above.
• Initial replacement schedules will be based upon the age of current computers and upon their ability to support various necessary software applications. Each department will confirm the priority order of computer replacements.
• The transfer of old to new computers will include the backup and restoration of content and the installation of licensed software, following current procedures.
• All University desktop and mobile computers will have an image configuration that includes network software for the deployment, management and maintenance of the hardware and software applications.
• Except for the site-licensed software provided by the University for student, faculty, or staff, other software and department-based applications remain the responsibility of the departments to license and maintain. This includes maintenance and software support for the management of the applications. Assistance will only be provided for department software loads with current licenses valid for the current operating systems and intended to be used in accordance with the deployment.
• Auxiliary technology that connects to computer hardware, such as printers, special instrumentation, scientific equipment and standalone disk arrays will not be included in the CRP budget but may be purchased by the department and will be installed if compatible with the OS and computer.