In fiscal year 2017, ITS made changes to the process for purchasing computers. The following guidelines cover the responsibilities of purchasing and funding. Each individual department is responsible for funding the purchase of staff or lab computers. The Office of the Provost is responsible for funding the purchase of most faculty computers, with some exceptions.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING NEW HIRES
To ensure a computer is ready by the new employee’s start date, please submit the Computer/Peripheral Request ticket as early as possible. It can take a minimum of 3-4 weeks to receive and configure a computer. It is not necessary to provide the new employee’s name to start the ordering process. The name can be added later during the configuration phase. In the event that computer items are back ordered, we can set up a temporary loaner computer during the interim.
Computer Purchasing Guidelines
ITS evaluates multiple vendor products to find the best options that align with our campus needs. We may choose business models over cheaper consumer models to ensure the technology performs well and meets our life cycle longevity requirements. Our goal is to maintain an accurate asset inventory list by centralizing the computer purchasing and receiving process.
ITS will place orders for:
- Desktop computers and accessories (both standard and non-standard configurations)
- Laptop computers and accessories (both standard and non-standard configurations)
- iPads - must purchase from our CDWG or Apple business accounts so devices are auto-enrolled in Apple's device management system
- Adobe software
Departments will place orders for:
- All non-IT purchases
- Computer accessories (hard drives, keyboards, monitor stands, etc.) - anything that was not included with the original computer order
- Software and renewals – anything that is used specifically by the department and not already covered by a campus-wide agreement managed by ITS
Computer Options
Our standard computer models are listed at the end of this article. We have options for both Windows and Mac in a desktop or laptop format. All standard models are tested by ITS to ensure they meet our technical requirements. Requests for non-standard computers are considered an exception and require approval from your budget manager and ITS. Please consult with an ITS technician who will gather your requirements and contact our preferred vendors for a quote (see How to Place Orders below).
Per HR’s Customized Work Arrangement guidelines, Drake provides one standard computer bundle per employee. If an employee works remotely part of the time, they are responsible for purchasing any duplicate computer components for home-office use. Additional information is available in HR’s FAQ document.
Life Cycle Replacement
ITS recommends a 4-year life cycle for computers to ensure proper function and productivity. Replacing outdated technology will ensure the safety of University information resources and protect against security vulnerabilities. ITS will collaborate with departments to maintain computer asset inventories.
Software Transfer - If you have specialized software installed on the old computer that needs transferred to the new computer, add a note in the description field of the service request ticket. The campus technician will need to know the name of the software, version, and license code (if available).
Computer users should read: What to Do Before and After You Get a New Computer (FAQ). This will ensure a smooth transition when the old computer is turned in. ITS will remotely lock the old computer if it is not returned in a timely manner after deployment of the new computer. Refer to the Required Return of Drake-Owned Technology Policy for more information.
Funding
ITS does not receive a special budget allocation to fund the replacement of computers. Departments are responsible for funding the replacement of older staff computers and new staff computers. New faculty computers and faculty computer replacements will be funded by the Office of the Provost in accordance with standard bundle pricing. We recommend that departments keep track of their computer inventory life cycles so that funding can be allocated to their budget plans each year.
How to Place Orders
If you're ordering standard computer models, part numbers are included in the price list linked in the Attachments section to the right. If you're ordering non-standard computer equipment, the first step is getting a custom quote by submitting a Computer/Peripheral Request. The campus technicians will work with our preferred vendors to obtain a quote, and the custom quote should be submitted along with the computer order form.
- Fill out the ITS Order Form available on the Computer/Peripheral Request page. The form requires FOAPAL number approval from your budget manager. It's important to show approval by a person with budget authority because the form is attached to the invoice for Accounting.
- Submit a Computer/Peripheral Request through the IT Service Portal. Create one request per each individual computer user.
- ITS will order the equipment and complete pre-installation configuration.
- Once the configuration is complete, a campus technician will schedule installation with the employee.
Ordering Timelines
Order fulfillment times vary by vendor. Standard computer equipment typically ships within 1-2 weeks. Once your complete order arrives on campus, please allow up to 3 additional weeks for installation. It is important to provide a “need by date” on the computer order form when ordering for a new employee or for special circumstances (e.g. employee needs a computer before traveling).
ITS maintains a very limited inventory of loaner laptops for emergency repair situations only. We don't keep an inventory of new computers on hand, therefore it's especially critical that orders for newly hired employees are submitted several weeks in advance of the employee’s start date.
Fiscal Year-end Deadlines
Departments should submit staff life cycle replacement orders between July and December. Ordering computers near the end of the fiscal year will be limited to only new hire requests or emergency replacements. During the spring semester, plan accordingly so that all computer order requests are submitted no later than April 15. Reducing the number of orders allows ITS extra time to receive product and meet fiscal year-end invoicing deadlines.
- If product is received on campus in June 2024, it will be expensed in FY24.
- If product is received on campus in July 2024, it will be expensed in FY25.
We can not guarantee that hardware will be shipped from the vendor in a timely manner. Supply chain backorders are unpredictable and can delay shipments by several weeks.
Computer Reassignment or Decommission
When you have a computer no longer in use or it needs to be transferred to a different user, submit a Computer/Peripheral Request. Select one of the following options in the ticket.
- Reassign computer to new user - The previous user changed positions or no longer works at Drake. The computer must be evaluated in the ITS Support Center before reassignment. A technician will verify the computer meets the current support scope as defined in the Required Return of Drake-Owned Technology Policy. Allow up to two weeks for deployment.
- Return equipment for departing employee - The computer is no longer in use and the age is still within the supported life cycle. ITS will hold the computer for future reassignment in your department. If your department doesn't need the computer, ITS will re-purpose the computer to the loaner pool.
- Decommission/eWaste - The computer is no longer in use and is beyond the supported life cycle.
In all three situations, the computer must be returned to ITS for proper evaluation of support scope and reconfiguration as necessary. These steps are important to protect against security vulnerabilities and to maintain an accurate computer inventory.
Printers
We have a printer lease contract with LRI. If you have questions about adding a new printer in your area, please consult with ITS. We may have access to spare equipment that's no longer being used due to office moves. Drake will not provide reimbursement for purchases of personal desktop printers for home office use. Per Human Resource's telecommuting guidelines, the University will not duplicate equipment resources between the campus work location and the alternate work location.
Phone Headsets
In 2020 ITS distributed headsets to all full-time employees in preparation for the campus phone system upgrade to Microsoft Teams calling. The bulk of our extra headset inventory has been depleted. Headsets should be treated the same as computer/peripheral equipment. When employees leave Drake, headsets should be collected by the manager and reused for newly hired employees. If there are no headsets available to reuse, departments are responsible for purchasing new ones. The Public Computer Standards Price List includes the recommended Poly Voyager part numbers for headsets, as well as replacement ear tips and cushions. The list is linked in the Attachments section to the right.
Questions?
- Technical Questions — Call the ITS Support Center at 271-3001.
- ITS Purchasing Questions — Contact Alicia Mann.
Standard Computer Models
ITS reviews vendor pricing on a regular basis. This list will change periodically due to price or part number updates.
NOTE: Occasionally people replace an old computer, but choose to keep an existing monitor or dock The new computer options may not use the same cabling connections that are compatible with older monitors. Before you submit an order request, please talk to an ITS technician to review which parts are required to make a new computer work with older peripheral hardware. Additional adapters may be required.
Current models as of January 2024 (Current price list is linked in the Attachments section to the right.)
Windows/PC Options:
- HP Pro Mini 400 Desktop
- HP EliteBook 830 G10 Laptop
Mac Options:
- Apple Mac Mini M2 Desktop
- Apple MacBook Air 13" Laptop - M2 Proc.