Policy for Purchasing New and Replacement Computers
12/3/01
Status: Approved by CCC Planning Committee 4/9/99
Adopted by the College Computing Council 5/14/99
Approved by the Cabinet 6/99
Revised in conjunction with the BOT Executive Committee 12/03/01
Replacement Computers
Replacement Philosophy
Computers have an effective life both at the college and in specific installations. The average life cycle of computers at the college is listed in the Guidelines for Replacement section below. In general, units should be replaced in specific locations when the hardware becomes a barrier to the user. This occurs primarily when the college's standard software suite, or the software required for instruction, service, or business activity will not run effectively on the existing hardware.
The Downside of Replacing Computers
Computer replacement is expensive, disruptive and labor intensive for both the end user and the support staff. Changing computers often requires a migration of data files and ancillary programs from the older units to the new units, and may require relearning software functionality when the computer comes in with newer software versions. In addition, newer units may no longer support legacy applications, which can lead to the need to purchase additional software upgrades or system modifications. Further, adding a new computer with new software versions to an existing office or facility can cause problems when shared files are no longer compatible.
Guidelines for Replacement
In an effort to balance the need to upgrade with the negative effects of replacement, computer purchasing must be orderly and planned in advance. The policy outlined here covers all devices whether student, faculty, staff or administrative, and includes both Intel (PCs) and non-Intel (Apple/Mac workstations) platforms.
1) Per the revision of 12/3/01, the college life cycle for desktop and lab computer/workstations is changed to five years. This change will be re-evaluated in future years to determine whether the time frame has adversely affected educational opportunities or college operations. The life cycle for college and lab servers is determined by the application software and will be established individually.
a) Areas that require more contemporary technology may receive new computers more often than every five years. These locations are to be established in consultation with the campus technology deans and area vice presidents, and identified on the inventory/replacement schedule.
i) The minimum timeframe for computer use in an initial location is three years. Shorter initial uses may be accommodated in unique situations but require the approval of the campus executive dean or vice president. For these installs, the end user is responsible for the migration of data and the reinstallation of programs. Should the end user be incapable of this task, services can be provided on overtime. Overtime costs must be paid by the end user's department.
b) Replaced computers that are less than five years old will be recycled into locations to obtain an effective five years of primary use and maintain the college on an overall five-year replacement cycle.
i) Recycled computers should remain in their second location for a least one year.
ii) The distribution of recycled equipment is to be identified in the replacement schedule and managed by campus and central representatives for their respective inventories. See item 6 below for more details on PC recycling.
2) For budgeting purposes, computer replacement should be included as an annual, specifically identified line item in the college’s budget. Funding for this account should be based upon the college’s replacement schedule. Reliance on "One Shot" initiatives to catch up should be avoided.
a) Replacement computers are to be purchased on a college-wide basis from a single 2450 college-level account.
i) As noted in item 3.b., the college establishes a standard computer configuration for each purchasing cycle. Some installations require additional options. A procedure will be developed in consultation with Financial Affairs to determine how options should be budgeted and purchased.
b) A college-wide replacement schedule will be maintained as part of the college’s computer inventory. The inventory/schedule will be maintained through the Office of Computer and Information Systems, in consultation with the Associate Dean for Instructional Technology and the campus technology administrators.
c) Each campus and central will be responsible for maintaining inventory/replacement information on the equipment within their areas and for requesting any changes in replacement time frames. The Office of Computer and Information Systems will prepare the college’s budget request for replacements and provide it to Financial Affairs at the appropriate time.
d) For planning purposes, a computer’s projected replacement date should be established when initially acquired. Information on the time frame a computer should be installed in a specific location is to be established by the campus or vice president's office.
e) Replacement ordering will occur within the college’s established computer ordering cycles.
3) Computers purchased should be deployed so they equip entire departments, labs or offices during one purchase cycle. Users within definable networks, classes, offices and areas should all be working with hardware and software of the same vintage, except as follows:
a) Some office computers will not have the same software requirements as the rest of the office's equipment. For example, a PC may be a single function device used by a college aide where compatibility or efficiency of use is not a major factor. Here, a recycled PC or a PC replaced less often may be more appropriate as long as the presence of this computer on the network does not inhibit network security or functionality. The computer inventory/replacement schedule will document where these ancillary computers are used.
b) Computers should be purchased with enough technical capacity to support the user through the entire life cycle. The Standards Subcommittee of the College Computing Council will establish a standard PC that the college will order each cycle. The selection should seek to balance an increased life cycle resulting from purchasing increased capabilities against the initial cost. The standard PC configuration should not be modified external to the review/approval of the Standards Subcommittee.
4) Within its life cycle, computers should require only one major software upgrade (operating system or office suite) and should not require a hardware upgrade. If the user's requirements change, necessitating a change in hardware configuration, only one upgrade (RAM, hard disk, processor, etc.) should be scheduled during the equipment's initial installation. This upgrade should not occur in the computer's last year at its initial location, unless the upgrade contributes significantly to the utilization of the equipment in its second location.
a) Zip drives or other mass storage devices may be used to extend the life of a computer, and should be considered an alternative to adding another hard drive. These drives should be used to provide additional data storage, facilitating migration when the computer is replaced.
5) Recycling Computers
Computers are the property of the college and are provided as tools to support the college’s mission. When a computer is replaced, it becomes available for reassignment to other uses at the college. Recycling plans are identified in the college’s replacement schedule and will be managed by central and campus staff.
a) Please be aware, distribution decisions are made on a college-wide basis in advance of replacement. Upon the installation of a replacement computer, the recycled PC is normally returned to the warehouse or a campus storage location awaiting redistribution after all new replacement computers are installed.
b) Requests for recycled computers should be made to the campus technology administrator (campus client) or the Office of Computer and Information Systems (central client). Each campus and central will develop procedures for managing recycle requests.
c) If an additional PC is needed within a department, the campus should first look to acquire a unit from stock, of the same vintage as the rest of the department's equipment. The goal is to keep the entire department/facility on its initial replacement schedule and all users on the same software versions.
6) Campus lab replacement should be handled on a staggered schedule as such that there is at least one new facility available on a campus at any one time.
a) Where academic computing centers support the campus's advanced curricular, the lab should have at lease one current area that can provide resources equal to the new facility on the campus.
7) Some classes will require the most current equipment to support their instructional needs. Rather than scheduling more frequent equipment replacements in the lab facilities these classes have traditionally used, the campus should consider moving the class to the newest campus/building/department facility.
a) In general, the college needs to be less proprietary with labs to optimize utilization. Those functions that work best together could share computer facilities. New labs would only need to be added when the utilization of all existing labs that are capable of supporting the needed function is nearing 100% utilization. It is recommended that the technology deans consider the shared facility option as the campus plans and develops new lab spaces.
b) It is suggested that an evaluation be undertaken to determine whether our current lab structure is the most effective method of providing resources to departments and students. It may be that the utilization of the lab and/or the need for specialized equipment, software, set-up etc., justifies a lab dedicated to a particular curriculum, program, or service area. However, it’s also possible that some labs could accommodate greater utilization and/or utilization by additional programs, courses or departments. Given the cost of PAs to maintain the labs, installation costs, replacement equipment, etc., it’s become critically important for us to be certain that every lab is really needed to accomplish our goals. A possible approach is to contract for an audit or review by a consultant.
Purchasing New Computers
1) New computers are also to be purchased on a college-wide basis using the existing purchasing cycle.
a) New purchases are to be made under a single account number to be determined by Financial Affairs in consultation with the County.
b) Upon purchase, new computers will be added to the college inventory and to the replacement schedule, in consultation with the Associate Dean for Instructional Technology and the campus technology administrators.
i) Grant purchases are to be included in the purchasing cycle and added to the inventory and replacement schedule as appropriate given the requirements of the grant. In general, this includes equipment that becomes college property or that the college is expected to assume replacement responsibility for.
c) New computer budget requests will be prepared by the Office of Computer and Information Systems in consultation with the Associate Dean for Instructional Technology and the campus technology administrators.
2) Campus cyclical purchasing should include the purchase of a small stock of extra computers. These would be available to fulfill off-cycle requests for needs such as providing equipment for new hires. The stock would be kept current by distributing any unused product from the previous cycle, to individuals requesting machines on the upcoming cycle, and replenishing the stock of spares with the new order.
a) It is expected that all individuals in new positions will need access to computing technology. Upon the creation of a new position, the department, office or campus should include plans to acquire the necessary equipment. When evaluating the PC needs of an individual in a new position, the campus or vice president should consider the age of existing equipment within the area. If possible, equipment of similar vintage should be obtained. If new equipment is appropriate, its acquisition should be included in the purchase cycle prior to the individual's arrival.
b) Individuals hired on existing lines are expected to use equipment currently in place.