The budget development and funding-decision procedures for computing equipment, software and peripherals at the University of Mary Washington (SPRING 2007)
Jump to the answers of specific questions:
- How do I get new computing equipment or software?
- What if I’m a department or unit head and need computing equipment for a new position?
- How can I be sure that my aging equipment is going to be replaced on the appropriate cycle?
- Can I get a laptop (or other mobile computing device) to replace my end-of-life-cycle desktop computer?
- How are requests for exceptions to the standard DoIT computer configurations handled?
- How long will DoIT support computing equipment?
- What kind of support can I expect for University computing equipment that is assigned for me to use at home?
- How do I get new computing equipment when my old equipment isn’t scheduled for replacement but isn’t working properly and apparently can’t be fixed?
- What about computing equipment for computing labs or classrooms (including projectors, etc.)?
- Does "computing equipment" include photocopiers?
- What are the schedules and deadlines related to proposal submissions for computing equipment?
How do I get new computing equipment or software?
If you believe you have a need for computing equipment, software or peripherals for a new project or function, you should describe the problem you are trying to solve to the appropriate Department of Information Technologies (DoIT) contacts:
- academic departments or units should notify Martha Burtis through their Information Technology Specialists (Ms. Burtis is acting Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies).
- administrative departments or units should notify Rose Hurley (DoIT Director of User Services) through their departmental computing contact (if there is one)
Ms. Burtis or Ms. Hurley (or other DoIT staff) will work to refine the request with you to determine the best technical solution and to outline the best cost options, then they will forward the request to the appropriate vice president for prioritization. If the timing of the request aligns with the current budget-request cycle, it will be considered in accord with the prioritization ranking that the vice president assigns to it in his or her set of requests. If it is an urgent or emergency request outside the standard budget process, then the Vice President for Information Resources will regard it as one to be proposed for funding from the University’s emergency funds that have been held in reserve to deal with issues that arise after the annual budget has been set (that involves more ad hoc discussions with the vice presidents as needed to deal with the specific case).
For information on acquiring software, including proposing software for site- or volume-licensed purchase by the University, see related information.
What if I’m a department or unit head and need computing equipment for a new position?
The University is committed to providing the necessary equipment for a new faculty or staff member, no matter when the person is hired. In such cases, please notify Chip German (VP for Information Resources and CIO). Martha Burtis or Rose Hurley about the planned new faculty or staff member. In turn, they will ensure that appropriate DoIT staff are notified, and those IT staff members will contact you directly to work on the details of getting the equipment in place in timely fashion for the new employee.
How can I be sure that my aging equipment is going to be replaced on the appropriate cycle?
DoIT uses an automated inventory gathering mechanism that collects simple profile information (i.e., processor type, operating system and patch level, etc.) about faculty, staff, and shared-use computers that log in to the UMW Novell network. However the information that we’re capable of gathering through those means doesn’t tell us who regularly uses a computer and what room it is in. Also, a small number of computers (such as Apples) and a larger set of peripherals are not “seen” by this automated inventory. To add those pieces of information, we subsequently conduct a physical inventory to connect the serial number and service tag to a particular location and to the individual faculty or staff member who use the computer (as well as to collect the serial numbers of related equipment such as printers and scanners). Then, we combine the two sets of data to initially populate a list of the computing equipment on campus and how close it is to obsolescence.
The resulting list will be ranked by age (the most urgent to replace are the older computers), and the initial assumption for budgeting is that we will replace all computers every three to four years and other peripherals as needed [this assumption had to be temporarily suspended in the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 fiscal years as noted below].
In years when the normal life-cycle replacement process is in place, the list of computers that are candidates for replacement is passed along in the spring to departmental computing contacts or to Instructional Technology Specialists for review with the affected constituencies to ensure that we don’t overlook a piece of equipment, to ensure that we add any peripherals that need to be replaced, and to identify any requests for exceptions to the standard configurations DoIT establishes each spring for the next academic year’s computer purchases. At the same time, we will update our inventory of equipment in computing labs and classrooms, adding those that are candidates for replacement to the list in relative priority positions jointly set by the appropriate dean and DoIT. The updated and prioritized list then forms the basis for the overall equipment budget proposal to the University’s budgeting process each year (including both University and ETF-based funds), and the outcome of that process determines how far down the replacement list the institution will get in that year.
Don't forget that the policy of the Department of Information Technologies is for one like piece of equipment to be turned back over to DoIT for each age- or malfunction-based replacement of computing equipment (including peripherals). To get a computer, you have to turn one in; to get a printer, you have to turn one in. Although this policy helps ensure that old equipment leaves the environment, it won't guarantee it. You may still have old equipment in your area, but don't assume that its continued presence means it will be supported by DoIT. See information about the age of equipment and limitations on DoIT support, below.
Can I get a laptop (or other mobile computing device) to replace my end-of-life-cycle desktop computer?
Although DoIT strongly encourages the use of laptops by faculty and staff, the funding situation in 2007-08 means that the University can't afford to provide them to all interested users.
Even in better financial times , laptops are generally more expensive, so the University's ability to guarantee this kind of "upgrade" during normal replacement is limited by its budget. Demand and available institutional funding will determine the answer. In any case, please make sure that your ITS (if you are in an academic department or unit) or the DoIT Division of User Services (if you are in an administrative department or unit) knows of your interest in this kind of replacement/upgrade in time for consideration during the budget cycle.
How are requests for exceptions to the standard DoIT computer configurations handled?
A request for a significantly higher-cost exception to the DoIT standard configuration for an academic unit computer requires an explanation of the academic/scholarly relevance of the request. The request goes to the relevant dean and the Vice President for Information Resources, who will jointly decide whether or not to grant the exception and include the higher cost item on the equipment list for which funding is being sought that year.
A requests for a significant higher-cost exception to the DoIT standard configuration for an administrative unit computer requires an explanation of the business relevance of the request. The request goes to the Vice President for Information Resources and the relevant functional-area vice president, who will jointly decide whether or not to grant the exception and include the higher cost item on the equipment list for which funding is being sought that year.
Requests for exceptions (academic or administrative) that would initially cost less than the cost of a DoIT standard configuration require review by the DoIT Director of User Services, Rose Hurley. Configurations that seem "cheaper" than those set by the University often carry hidden costs, and all require non-standard support, which is significantly more expensive to provide. Because nearly all computing equipment at the University is centrally funded, persons requesting exceptions to purchase cheaper configurations should expect rigorous review of any such request.
In all cases, any non-standard hardware/system must be reviewed by DoIT in advance of purchase for technical compatibility with the prevailing University environment if it is going to interact with that environment at all, and it must be able to be configured with sufficient security not to be a significant vulnerability to the University network, if it is going to be attached to the network (see related policy). DoIT's review of any non-standard hardware or system will result in one of three classifications:
- UNACCEPTABLE -- if the hardware/system is not compatible with the secure and efficient operation of the network and general University technical environment, the requestor cannot acquire it for installation that involves any connection to the network or interaction with the technical environment (i.e., University data cannot be stored on it).
- ACCEPTABLE, WITH POTENTIAL FOR WIDER USE AND DOIT SUPPORT -- if the non-standard hardware/system shows potential for wider use, DoIT may recommend that it be considered not only for acquisition as requested but also for support by its technicians.
- APPEARS ACCEPTABLE, BUT DOIT IS UNABLE TO SUPPORT -- if the hardware/system is otherwise acceptable, but DoIT cannot develop or maintain the expertise necessary to support its installation or ongoing operation, DoIT will issue an "at own risk" notice that informs the requestor of DoIT's inability to assist in installation, problem resolution or prevention of any subsequently developed risk to the network that will require DoIT to disconnect it from the network or isolate it from the UMW technology environment. DoIT ordinarily will offer to assist in the process of purchase of hardware/system with this rating (not using DoIT funds, of course) because its avenues for purchase often provide deeper discounts than will be available to faculty and staff using other routes of acquisition.
How long will DoIT support computing equipment?
After consulting with various constituencies, the DoIT Director of User Services, Rose Hurley, determines what specifications her staff can effectively and efficiently support each year. All institutional computing equipment that is within its specified life-time in the University's equipment life-cycle program will be supported. This means that when a desktop computer is purchased with an expected life of three years before it will be replaced, the Division of User Services will support that machine for three years. After that life-time, the Division will not support the equipment unless extra people and financial resources are available to do so (an unlikely scenario). The total costs of supporting such equipment after its designated life-time are extremely high.
What kind of support can I expect for University computing equipment that is assigned for me to use at home?
First, it is the policy of the Department of Information Technologies to recommend strongly against assignment of University computing equipment for sole use at a home location. However, DoIT recognizes that the institution may identify some circumstances in which such assignments are appropriate, but those assignments must be formally justified, approved, and monitored under applicable University procedures related to property management and risk management. Generally, it makes more sense for a department to propose that a staff member be assigned a laptop or portable computer that can be transported between office and home than to have a dedicated desktop machine in each location. There are many reasons for this, including the difficulty of ensuring that a home machine is sufficiently secured to be used for University business.
In cases where the University grants exceptions for assignment of institutional computing equipment specifically for business use at home, DoIT provides only telephone-based support for the home-assigned equipment. If such equipment requires direct inspection or repair by DoIT technicians, the employee to whom it is assigned must make an appointment to bring the equipment to the Help Desk (654-2255). Further, the restrictions on support related to the life-span of equipment also apply to home machines (see "How long will DoIT support computing equipment," above).
How do I get new computing equipment when my old equipment isn’t scheduled for replacement but isn’t working properly and apparently can’t be fixed?
The above processes include opportunities for identifying such issues during the standard budget cycle. Those outside the budget cycle will be considered by the Vice President for Information Resources as “emergency” requests, as noted above.
What about computing equipment for computing labs or classrooms (including projectors, etc.)?
For all existing computer-lab equipment or classroom-based equipment (including projectors) that DoIT directly manages, the equipment is being placed on an inventory that serves as the basis for a life-cycle replacement schedule (for computers, this will involve a maximum three-year life cycle as long as funding is sufficient). For existing computer-lab equipment or classroom-based equipment that is managed by an academic department or other unit, DoIT's inventory will also show when the equipment is scheduled for replacement, and our staff will begin discussions with the departments involved in time for such needs to be included in DoIT's annual equipment budgeting review. If you have any reason to be uncertain about whether or not equipment not managed directly by DoIT is included in DoIT's institutional equipment inventory, please contact DoIT's Director of User Services, Rose Hurley, or DoIT Business Manager Mary Blackmoor.
Proposals for retrofitting classrooms or labs with IT equipment (including projectors and audio systems) for the first time must be included in the DoIT's annual equipment budgeting review because the funding sources are generally the same as those used for buying IT equipment under other circumstances. The DoIT ITSs assigned to academic buildings will ensure that any such proposals are included in information about equipment budgeting in their areas and will discuss this issue directly with departmental leaders. Such proposals will be jointly considered by the appropriate dean and the Vice President for Information Resources in their annual equipment budgeting process.
Plans for outfitting classrooms or labs with IT equipment in new buildings are part of those new-building projects (and generally part of project-related funding).
Does "computing equipment" include photocopiers?
Although photocopying machines have many elements that might lead us to classify them generally as "computing equipment," the University manages them separately. For more information about acquiring and/or replacing "copiers," contact the University's Business Services office at 654-1009.
What are the schedules and deadlines related to proposal submissions for computing equipment?
University-level prioritization of funding for the 2006-07 fiscal year resulted in a 32 percent reduction from levels three years ago in the Department of Information Technologies' replacement equipment budget. Likely state budget cuts in 2007-08 mean that the funding situation will not improve over the short-term, at least. As a result, the Vice President for Information Resources imposed a freeze on routine replacement of computing equipment assigned to individuals for 2006 that continues to the present. Urgently needed replacements for malfunctioning equipment and high-priority replacements for classroom and computer-laboratory settings will continue to be processed.
Work began last spring on resuming the normal equipment replacement cycle when it appeared the funding situation would improve, but the recent state budget news means that the process is still on hold.
When the normal replacement cycle process can resume, here is its approximate schedule -- again, this will not be our process until funding can be restored.
DATE ACTION STATUS Call for Computer-related Requests goes to departmental budget contacts University-wide Requests from departments and units due to the VP for Information Resources Submissions are evaluated and integrated with other budget-planning activities of the institution. Result will be scale-setting instructions from central administration to DoIT about planning assumptions it should make for new acquisitions and replacements. Assumptions will be adjusted by additional information from central administration as General Assembly actions affect general University budget planning. Automated gathering of inventory information for initial population of a proposed equipment-age-based replacement list by DoIT Completion of physical inventory to connect locations and users with serial numbers/service tags for computing equipment and peripherals and identify previously uncounted equipment First drafts of DoIT lists of equipment scheduled for replacement and "new needs" acquisitions go to departmental equipment contacts Departmental responses/corrections (including exception requests) to the lists are returned to DoIT Division of User Services Revised DoIT lists (including disposition of exception requests) are returned to departmental equipment contacts Replacement list "locked," communication begins with departmental equipment contacts to determine replacement schedules Institution releases funding for annual equipiment acquisition.