support

Overview

The use of technology at the College continues to grow at a rapid pace. A variety of hardware and software is being used by a diverse group of people to achieve a variety of goals. The Information Technology Department is charged with supporting those endeavors to the best of their abilities and in a manner consistent with the Information Technology Mission Statement. Such support requires that a consistent set of hardware and software be used and, when this is not possible, that the members of the community consult with Information Technology before purchasing unsupported products. This allows both Information Technology and the faculty member, staff member, or student to come to agreement on the level of support that is desired and that can be expected. The following policy was created in conjunction with the campus-wide Information Technology Advisory Council and was approved by the Executive Council of the College in April of 1996.

Policy Statement

Hardware and software items purchased through the Computer Purchase Program (CPP), and that have been approved by an appropriate Information Technology (IT) staff member, will normally be installed and supported by IT. IT will strive to provide some degree of support and training for hardware or software not purchased through the CPP or not approved by IT, to the extent such support does not extend beyond reasonable expenditures of time and money. Such support may be limited by a lack of expertise, difficulty or inability to connect the equipment to the campus network, inability to obtain replacement parts, inability to obtain warranty service, or other causes reasonably beyond the control of IT staff. Should IT be unable for any of the above reasons to reasonably supply service, the responsibility for securing installation, support and maintenance will remain with the department acquiring or owning the equipment or software.

Procedure

IT is to recommend standards for technology purchases, including computer hardware, software and media equipment. These standards are developed through consultations with members of the community and consider such issues as initial cost, recurring costs, viability in the LC networked environment, manufacturers’ warranties, and the ability of IT to offer support for the purchased technology. During such consultation, IT will advise the buyer that support for the equipment or software may be limited. The College contracts with pre-qualified vendors for favorable prices on technology that meets or exceeds the standards recommended by IT. College purchases of computer hardware and software should be made through the CPP while other technology items (such as media or telecommunications equipment) should be purchased in consultation with appropriate IT staff member(s). Items not available from vendors under contract with the College may be purchased from other vendors and the buyer should consult with IT staff about such proposed purchases. All equipment or software purchased from vendors not under contract with the College and without prior consultation of IT staff may receive limited support. IT may elect to discontinue support for hardware due to difficulty in obtaining parts or to excessive cost to obtain parts or repairs. 

This policy applies to computer hardware and software, media equipment (both audio and visual) and telecommunications equipment.