IT EQUIPMENT POLICY REPLACEMENT CYCLE

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1 IT EQUIPMENT POLICY REPLACEMENT CYCLE It is an objective of the Hibbing Community College (HCC) Information Technology department to regularly replace aging computer equipment with more modern items as time and money permit. The HCC Technology Plan dictates the rotation cycle of computers in our labs and offices. Please refer to that document when considering the replacement cycle of HCC systems. The goals of replacing systems at HCC are as follows: Ensure that the quality and standards of equipment in our labs is sufficient to meet or exceed Hibbing Community College s Mission Statement. Ensure that each faculty member, staff member, or student has the computing resources at their disposal to fulfill their responsibilities. Ensure that minimum state standards are met. Ensure cost effective installation and maintenance of systems. Ensure cost effective disposal of old equipment. Computer hardware is generally replaced during the summer semester as this usually results in the least amount of disruption to Faculty, Staff and Students at HCC. This of course is not always the case, as hardware replacement occurs year round and is usually done while accommodating the requests of Faculty and Staff. Faculty and Staff are PROHIBITED from purchasing their own hardware or software without first contacting the Information Technology department. This is only to ensure quality and performance on the HCC network. This is also to prevent someone from purchasing incompatible hardware. Faculty and Staff interested in replacing their office computer should first discuss the option with their department head, which can make the request to Information Technology. Generally some discussion will take place regarding the financial aspect of the purchase (e.g. Perkins Fund) depending on the role of the PC.

2 COMPUTERS ON LOAN Computers are very useful to Faculty while on sabbatical, on vacation, or out of the office. Hibbing Community College permits Faculty and Staff to use HCC equipment and accounts during these periods. The Information Technology department offers a wide variety of computers and peripherals for loan. Faculty and Staff are eligible to borrow laptops for an extended period of time provided that the resources are available. All laptops come with a standard installation of software. Faculty and Staff are PROHIBITED from installing their own software on HCC systems, even when they are taken home, with the exception of installing and setting up software for connecting to an ISP. Hibbing Community College does NOT provide dial in service to Faculty, Staff, or Students for Internet access. You must arrange your own Internet Service with a 3 rd party. Hibbing Community College will NOT reimburse your costs for this Internet access. Information Technology is NOT obliged to assist Faculty or Staff in connecting HCC hardware to home networks or other ISPs. Faculty and Staff should seek support for ISP issues from their own ISP support people. Special requests can be made to Information Technology for special software or hardware needs on these systems. Computers on loan from the college are for OFFICIAL college use ONLY. They are NOT to be used by family members or friends under any circumstances. When the computer is returned, The Information Technology department reserves the right to scrub the hard disk of any data and reinstall all of the standard software. Faculty and Staff are responsible for any data they leave on the laptop when it is returned to the Faculty Lab. Information Technology reserves the right to recall all equipment out on loan in order to perform upgrades to software, and/or hardware replacement/upgrades at any time. GRANT FUNDED PURCHASES AND EQUIPMENT Faculty and Staff members pursuing grants or funding from grants for computing equipment must first speak with their Department Heads and the Network Administrator before attempting to go further in the purchasing process.

3 Computer equipment purchased under a grant will fall under the umbrella of Information Technology equipment as long as that equipment remains at the college. This equipment will also be subject to replacement within the Replacement Cycle. When the equipment is ready to be disposed of, the Information Technology department will communicate with the department head to facilitate the disposal of said equipment. There is often ownership issues with equipment purchased under grants, and these concerns must be addressed before disposal. PRINTERS The Information Technology department offers a wide variety of networked printers for Faculty, Staff, and Student use in several central locations. Individual desktop printers are permitted at HCC, and will be supported by the Information Technology department with the caveat that the Information Technology department is not responsible for the initial purchase of neither that printer, nor the ink for the printer, and is not obligated in any way to replace the printer after the warranty expires. Information Technology will assist you in replacing your desktop printer if it is still under warranty. While Information Technology does not aggressively support the purchase of desktop printers, it will assist you in the purchase of one, after discussing it with the department head. NETWORK EQUIPMENT Faculty, Staff, and Students are PROHIBITED from purchasing their own network equipment including, but not limited to, LAN cards, Wireless Cards, Routers, Hubs, Switches, Network Cabling, and network ready Printers. Network stability is paramount in our environment, and the addition of unauthorized network gear to the campus network can potentially result in hard to diagnose problems. Requests for this type of hardware must be directed to the Information Technology department. UPGRADES TO HARDWARE The Information Technology department will handle all upgrades to hardware, including upgrades to the firmware installed on a hardware device. This process can often result in a non functioning system if done improperly, causing further budget drains. An unauthorized employee who performs these types of upgrades risks having the costs incurred to them under the Responsibility for Equipment section.

4 Information Technology will meet with the employee and department head prior to upgrading hardware in order to ensure that the new equipment will meet current and anticipated computing needs. Hardware that is no longer necessary after the upgrades will enter the Replacement Cycle for disposal or recycling. RESPONSIBILITY FOR EQUIPMENT Each employee is directly responsible for taking reasonable care and safety precautions in regard to the Hibbing Community College owned computing equipment. Employees will be held responsible for damage to such equipment arising out of their personal negligence or intentional misconduct. Employees may inquire about proper care procedures with the Instruction Technology staff. HARDWARE BELONGING TO COLLEGE AFFILIATES Computing Hardware not owned by Hibbing Community College but owned by an affiliate of the college (e.g. UMD Dental) fall under the control of the Information Technology department. Information Technology reserves all the same rights and privileges to those systems as it does for its own systems. Information Technology will consult with each affiliate in regards to Hardware and Software upgrades, and will provide advice on the purchase of such upgrades. Information Technology will also perform the upgrades in cooperation with the affiliate in order to minimize disruption to normal college activities. PERSONALLY OWNED HARDWARE Faculty and Staff are PROHIBITED from using personally owned computer hardware and/or software at Hibbing Community College for official work. OTHER HARDWARE Information Technology will not upgrade equipment not owned by Hibbing Community College or one of its affiliates.

5 POLICY CHANGES AND REVIEW This policy is subject to change without notice. The campus Data Security Officer reserves the right to make exceptions, substitutions, or alterations to this policy on a case by case basis. Information Technology will review this policy annually. Changes and/or special requests pertaining to this policy should be directed to the campus Data Security Officer.