Policies -Computer Provisioning Policy

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Staff: Staff will be assigned PC desktops. In most cases, staff need access to various administrative programs that only run on Windows, or are more easily supported on Windows, so should have Windows operating system computers.  Staff computers are tier 1.

Tenure Track Faculty:  Faculty will have the option of Mac or PC, and the option of desktop or laptop.  Faculty often work from off-campus, and they often have special software needs that require one or another operating system.  Further, they normally are not required to use the windows-only administrative programs. Faculty computers are tier 1.

Adjunct/Contingent Faculty:  Adjunct faculty normally work on-campus, but may have special software needs.  IT will supply a mix of PC and Mac desktops, which will often be placed in shared office space.  Where possible, the specific faculty needs will be addressed during the lease renewal process, but the individual faculty may not get their choice of operating system, depending on sharing and lease cycle.  Adjunct faculty computers are tier 2.

Emeritus Faculty:  Emeritus faculty with assigned Pitzer offices will be assigned a tier 2 computer.

Other Employees (e.g. temp, fellows) Other staff will be assigned a tier 2 computer.

Other IT-Provisioned Computers:  Some IT-supported computers are placed in offices for occasional use by students or staff, beyond the computers assigned to individuals above. These computers will be tier 2, but may be mac or PC, depending on the specific use, need and availability.

Non IT-Provisioned Computers:  Faculty or business offices sometimes buy additional computers for their research, office, or travel needs.  These may be new or used computers.   These computers are not leased, and will not be replaced by IT if and when they fail.  IT does not have the expertise and resources to fully support these machines, but will make a good-faith effort where possible.

Purchasing:  Computers purchased with Pitzer funds, regardless of account, are owned by Pitzer college. They must be purchased through the IT department for inventory control, even when the source of funds is not IT-controlled.

Enhancements and upgrades: During the refresh of tier1 machines, IT may make available some limited options, such as additional memory, larger or additional monitors, or docking stations.  There will generally be an additional cost for such enhancements, born by the appropriate VP (for staff) or by the research and award funding (for faculty).  A costed upgrade might include the choice of laptop vs desktop, depending on the underlying cost of the hardware.

Glossary

Tier 1  Periodically, IT will replace all tier 1 machines (assigned to staff and faculty) with new hardware.  Tier 1 machines are fully supported by IT.

Tier 2  When tier 1 machines are refreshed, the old tier 1 machines will be used to refresh the tier 2 machines.  Tier 2 machines will be replaced or repaired if they fail, and the software will be supported to the extent possible.  They are used where needs are less demanding.