Computer Replacement and Purchase Policy

rev. November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the process by which Wesleyan University acquires, replaces, and disposes of computer hardware equipment.

Scope

This policy applies to faculty and staff regarding the purchase of all computer equipment issued by the university regardless of university funding sources.

Computer Equipment Purchases for the University

All computer equipment purchases must be coordinated with Information Technology Services (ITS) before any purchases are made. ITS maintains an inventory of computer assets owned by the University. All computer equipment purchases must be made through the ITS Service Center, as this allows Wesleyan to negotiate volume and educational discounts. Additionally this ensures that ITS is aware of every purchase and is able to service and support the equipment. A faculty member requiring specialized equipment may request an exception to this policy through Joy Vodak in Academic Affairs.

Primary Computer and Funding

Full-time faculty and staff positions will be assigned one and only one primary Capital Computer. The computer assigned to a user as their primary Capital Computer device will be supported by ITS staff and covered under the computer replacement cycle. Computers needed for visiting faculty, part-time staff, student worker positions, temporary positions, or for special projects will be furnished out of the ITS redistribution pool of computers, if available.

Please refer to the ITS Hardware Catalog for standard offering and configuration options.

Administrative Staff Options and Funding Allowance for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)

Staff who require the use of a personal computer as a primary tool for their Wesleyan employment receive one primary desktop or laptop computer up to $1200.00 in value to be refreshed every 4 years.

Any expense over $1200.00 must be funded via a Supplement SmartKey provided by the staff employee's department.

For the FY24, The Dell Latitude Windows laptop is the preferred laptop for Administrative Staff, as most Wesleyan Administrative software applications perform most optimally on the Windows OS platform. The laptop also offers the most flexibility to accommodate hybrid / video meetings requiring integrated video and audio capabilities.

Central Capital Computer funding covers the cost of the laptop computer only. Other peripherals and accessories must be funded by a departmentally provided Supplemental SmartKey.

  • If the Capital Computer is a desktop computer, the $1200.00 may also be used to cover the cost of the primary display/monitor and keyboard/mouse when required. *The useful life of a display/monitor is greater than 4-years, therefore a desktop computer display/monitor does not need to be replaced each time the desktop computer is replaced. ITS Desktop Support Specialists will advise when a display/monitor requires replacement.

Academic Administrative Support Staff (AA staff) are allowed a standard Windows (PC) / *Apple Mac desktop or a Windows (PC) laptop computer to be refreshed every 4 years. *Per Academic Affairs policy, Apple laptops are not funded for AA staff.

As stated above, The Dell Latitude Windows Laptop is the preferred laptop for Administrative Staff. The cost associated with any AA staff peripheral requests, such as docking stations, external monitors, etc. must be paid for by the requesting department and a Supplemental Smart Key must be provided.

Academic Affairs Faculty Options and Funding Allowance for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)

One primary desktop or laptop computer up to $1600.00 in value to be refreshed every 4 years. Required computer accessories such as adapters, monitors, docking stations, keyboards/mice etc. may be purchased within this $1600.00 allotment every 4 years.

Accessory items such as laptop bags/cases, etc. may not be purchased with the $1600.00 allotment and must be funded with supplemental funding.

New faculty hires receive a one-time budget of $2500.00 to use toward their desktop/laptop computer purchase and any selected peripherals, etc.

Secondary Computers and Other Computer Equipment

Some faculty and staff members' teaching, research, and professional work warrants computing power beyond the standard configuration. Upgrades and additional computers must be pre-approved by Academic Affairs for faculty and by the relevant Cabinet member for staff (see below for details). This decision will be made based on need and the added costs must be funded from sources such as start-up funding, grants, departmental funds, etc.; ITS cannot fund the purchase of secondary computers.

As a rule, Wesleyan Capital Computer funds cannot be used to purchase electronic mobile devices such as an iPad, tablets, etc. Wesleyan Capital Computer funds also cannot be used to purchase printers, scanners, or copiers. In the very rare case where an exception is granted, pre-approval is required before any orders/purchases can be made.

Neither secondary computers nor other computer equipment will be covered under the 4-year computer replacement cycle, and ITS staff may not always be able to support them.

Computer Replacement Cycle

The planned replacement cycle for primary computers is 4 years. ITS staff will evaluate each request and may recommend upgrading core components rather than replacing a computer, or deferring replacement for one year. The planned replacement cycle for computers that ITS manages in classrooms and teaching labs is 5 years. ITS will not replace secondary computers, including secondary computers in faculty research labs.

Standard Computer Configurations

Please refer to the ITS Hardware Catalog

Computers that are part of the ITS Computer Replacement Cycle will be replaced with a new standard computer. Standards are reviewed annually. Any upgrades to the hardware configuration beyond the scope of the standard configuration will be charged to the requesting department.

Full-time faculty and staff may have the choice of a Windows or Macintosh laptop or desktop, based on a standard configuration. In some cases, supervisors or departments may require a specific platform to conform to business processes. *Supplemental departmental funding may be necessary to cover the cost of an Apple computer as they are generally more expensive than comparably configured Dell/Windows computers. For the FY24, The Dell Latitude Windows Laptop is the preferred laptop for Administrative Staff, as most Wesleyan Administrative software applications perform most optimally on the Windows OS platform. The laptop also offers the most flexibility to accommodate hybrid / video meetings requiring integrated video and audio capabilities.

Requesting a Secondary Computer or an Upgrade

To purchase computing equipment other than (or in addition to) the University's standard-issue machine, a faculty or staff member must first send an email request to Joy Vodak in Academic Affairs, or to the relevant Cabinet member, prior to placing an order, that includes: 

  1. A brief statement of the research and/or teaching needs that the upgrade or additional machine will fill. This step is required regardless of payment method (e.g., PCard, Computer Store charge) or funding source, (e.g., start-up funds, faculty research accounts, departmental endowments, grants, ploughback, etc.).
  2. Identification of the source of funds and SmartKey that will be used to pay for the equipment.

Repairs

The ITS Service Center provides on-campus hardware diagnostic and service (warranty and non-warranty) for Wesleyan issued computers during their 4-year cycle. Service Center technicians use their expertise to diagnose hardware issues and will work with hardware manufacturers to facilitate efficient and timely repairs. At times it may be determined that a non-warranty computer part replacement is necessary and the faculty or staff employee's department my need to fund non-warranty part replacement. If it is determined that the cost of the repair exceeds the value of the machine, an early replacement may be approved and the 4-year cycle will be adjusted based on the deployment date of the machine. ITS funding does NOT cover liquid damage or repairs related to physical and accidental damage of the machine.

Return Upon Replacement/Refurbished Hardware

Any staff employee hired as a replacement to a former employee will inherit the computer used by the previous holder of that position, unless that computer is older than 4 years, in which case a new computer will be procured.

ITS Desktop Support and/or Service Center staff will assist employees with the migration of backed up desktop data to their new computer.

Replaced computers must be returned at the time a new replacement is deployed and necessary data migration is completed. Faculty and staff may request up to a two-week time window to transition from their old computer to their new primary computer.

  • Please request this accommodation with your ITS Desktop Support Specialist (DSS) via an ITS Service Now request.
  • After two weeks the replaced computer must be returned to the ITS Service Center.

ITS maintains a pool of refurbished hardware that is in heavy demand. These refurbished machines are tracked in an inventory management system. ITS must satisfy the demands of the entire campus with its refurbished pool. Additionally, aging computers pose a security risk as operating systems become unsupported. 

When a refurbished machine is requested and approved, Desktop Support Specialists (DSS) will work with the ITS Service Center to have the machine re-configured and deployed for the requested purpose.

Disposition / Retirement of Computer Equipment

ITS will not support or service desktop and laptop computer equipment older than 8 years old and campus network access may be restricted. The useful life of Wesleyan campus desktops and laptops is 8 years or less. After 8 years hardware begins to decline and become obsolete and often is no longer compatible with required software and security updates. Desktops and laptops older than 8 years will be taken out of service and recycled / disposed of appropriately.

Option to Purchase Upon Leaving

With approval from Academic Affairs for faculty, the relevant Cabinet member for staff, and the ITS Director of User Services, Desktop Support Specialists and Service Center staff can assist in facilitating the purchase of your computer upon leaving the University. The ITS Service Center will establish a buy-out price based on fair market value. Computers are sold “as-is”. Any additional hardware upgrades will be additional cost. Purchases are processed through the ITS Service Center. Computers that are purchased must be wiped of University software by the Service Center. This ensures that the University maintains license compliance.