III. Software Upgrade
IV. Guest Speakers and Technology
V. Shareware
VI. Communication
I. Task Force Committee
The Task Force Committee recommends the following standards and policies to guide the change management process for the introduction of hardware and software in the SBA. This policy includes agreements about the lead-time needed for introduction of hardware and software, clear lines of responsibility for exceptions to the policy, and expectations about quality of service in classrooms and faculty offices.
II. Hardware Upgrades
A. Faculty and Staff
1. The standard policy for the upgrade of workstations for faculty and staff is three years.
2. Exceptions:a) Faculty or staff whose work requires a high-end workstation may request an earlier upgrade through their department. If the department recommends it to the Director of SBA Information Technologies and if resources are available, the request will be granted. The workstation that is made available will be filtered down to those using a lower-end system.
b) Some faculty and staff may find that their workstation is adequate for more than three years. In these cases a change will not be required unless the operating system and/or software for the entire SBA mandates an upgrade. All requests for a computer should be ordered through the SBA Information Technologies Office. Approval of the request by the department should be obtained prior to submitting the request. If the resources are available the request will be granted.
B. Information Technology Staff
1. Information technology staff should have new workstations every two years in order to keep abreast of the newest technology.
C. Technology Classrooms
1. The technology classrooms will have their workstation replaced every two years.
2. The projectors will be replaced every four to five years.
D. Student Labs
1. Laws 207: This is our "showplace" technology lab and classroom. Workstations should be upgraded annually.
2. Laws 10 and Upham 316: These classroom/labs fulfill a dual role and should be upgraded at least every three years.
3. Laws 8 and 11: These labs serve the student basic need for spreadsheets, word processing and internet searches and should be upgraded every three years.
III. Software Upgrade
A. General Software
1. Desktop: Windows 32-bit operating system such as Windows XP
2. Laptop: Windows XP
3. Standard Operating System for SBA is Windows XP and basic applications such as Office 2003, GroupWise, Netscape, Explorer and standard MCIS software (SPSS, SAS).
4. SBA Information Technologies will provide current versions as they become available and are compatible with our current operating systems. Major changes will be announced at least a semester in advance and changes will generally be made over the summer months. (A list of all SBA supported software will soon be available on the SBA website).
B. Departmental Software
1. Software approved by the department to be used by students in sections of their courses will be available in the labs.
C. Upgrades of Current Software
1. To upgrade all of the labs to a new version of software already running in the labs will require at least six working weeks.
D. New Software
1. New software will need to be tested for compatibility with our operating system and existing software. Therefore, a request to use new software in the labs should be sent to the SBA Information Technologies department at least three months in advance. New software requests which require an extensive financial commitment on the part of the SBA will need to be submitted to the Technology Task Committee for approval.
E. Faculty/Staff Specific Software
1. Faculty/staff should obtain a Software Request Form from the SBA Information Technologies department before ordering software for use in their office. The form will include the requirements necessary to ensure that the software will perform as expected on the SBA network, will ask the requestor to identify expected funding source and will require the signature of the Director of Faculty Development. This form should be submitted to the Director of Information Technologies in 201 Laws Hall.
IV. Guest Speakers and Technology
A. Guest speakers often expect to use technology when they make presentations. If at all possible, have them discuss their needs with the SBA Information Technologies department at least a week in advance so they can assist them in having a successful presentation. Frequently, laptops are not compatible with our network but there are adjustments that can be made if the technology department is notified in advance. Zip disks work the best if the presenter is using standard software available on our network.
V. Shareware
A. The SBA Information Technologies department will not support any shareware software for faculty, staff or students. No shareware software will be installed in any of the labs. Faculty and staff may download shareware software from the Internet; however, the SBA Information Technologies department does not take responsibility if the software causes any problems to the workstation.
VI. Communication
A. To enforce the above policy the Director of Information Technology will meet with all of the departments in the School of Business Administration and talk with them about the policy.
B. A letter will be sent annually to everyone in the SBA updating them on facility changes and reminding them of acquisition policies.
