Information Technology is beginning the fourth year of the Academic Computer Refresh Program (ACRP). The purpose of the ACRP is to ensure that all fulltime faculty and staff within each college are equipped with a computer that is less than five years old. Starting in December, approximately one quarter of all computers assigned to fulltime faculty and academic staff is refreshed. Historically computers refreshed were determined by the age of computer regardless of who they were assigned to. Due to recent improvements with the centrally managed asset management database, refresh decisions will be based off of the computers that are assigned to each fulltime faculty and staff member within each college. A list of fulltime faculty and staff members will be provided to college Deans or their delegates to verify that all fulltime faculty and staff are identified. After the list is approved, Information Technology will compile a refresh list based off of the newest computer assigned to each fulltime faculty and staff member within each college. All computers on the list purchased prior to Fiscal Year 2007 will be selected for refresh this year. Information Technology will email all faculty and staff on the list and survey them to identify a computer which best fits their needs based off the selected standard hardware configurations.
The Standard Computer Hardware Configurations are selected annually by a committee consisting of representatives from Information Technology, NHS, HHS, MCB, PVA, University Libraries, UNC Foundation, Auxiliary Support and The Office of Academic Affairs. The goal of the committee is to select a computer configuration which meets the needs of faculty and staff while remaining fiscally responsible. The standard configurations this year feature upgraded memory and hard drive storage space. Monitors will be excluded from all Windows based desktop computers. Information Technology conducted research and found that based off of an average usage of 8 hours per day, a standard LCD flat-panel monitor should last 10 to 15 years. Follow this link http://www.unco.edu/bearlogic/PDFs/Computer_Refresh_FY10.pdf to a website outlining this year’s standard configurations. If a faculty or staff member deemed for computer refresh feels that the standard configuration does not meet their needs, they will work with Information Technology technicians to design a system that meets their special requirements and also be fiscally responsible. The cost of any upgrades to computers will be the responsibility of the department.
Once a computer has been refreshed, Information Technology will work with each college to reassign the computer to any part time faculty, graduate assistant, or student employee. This allows the oldest computers within a college to be replaced with four-year-old trickledown computers.
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