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Effective as of the 1995-96 academic year, the University established a technology
fee to be paid by all students for the purpose of "technology renewal and
replacement." A major portion of this money is expended each year for the upgrading
and/or replacement of personal computer, networking, infrastructure and computer
laboratory equipment. The remaining money is held in reserve for major equipment
(mainframe, servers, telecommunication switches, etc.) replacement.
The Office of the Dean of Information Technologies acts as the clearinghouse for
requests dealing with office and computer laboratory upgrades/replacements. The
requests are reviewed by the Technologies Advisory Committee that meets the first
of the Fall Semester to prioritize requests for laboratory upgrades. Lab equipment
is usually replaced on a rotational basis. Among the criteria influencing
replacement decisions are the age of the lab equipment, student usage, and any
special needs of the lab.Also, during the Fall Semester the Committee solicits
faculty and staff requests concerning the replacement of office computers and
peripherals. This solicitation, usually conducted by e-mail, outlines procedures for
making the requests. Upon recommendation by the Committee, the Dean of Information
Technologies initiates equipment orders based on the amount of money available.
As the primary purpose of the technology fee is for equipment upgrades,
discipline-specific software usually is not considered for order. The amount of the
technology fee is insufficient to finance these software requests, which
departmental and college budgets should ordinarily cover.