Laptop Policy
I. Eligibility
For various reasons, including budgetary ones, it is not possible for the College to provide laptops to all employees who might benefit from them. However, the College will endeavor to allocate up to 20% of its lifecycle desktop funds for the purchase of laptops.
In general, laptops will be distributed among users in the following priority groups:
A. Lifecycle replacements
Laptops identified for upgrading by the College's lifecycle replacement plan will be replaced first.
B. Faculty
Only full-time, permanent members of the College community are eligible for consideration for laptops. Efforts will be made to allocate laptops to users based upon job responsibilities and need.
In general, the following groups of faculty will be considered first:
1. Online faculty
Faculty who regularly teach two or more online courses each semester.
2. Web-enhanced classes
Faculty who regularly teach 50% or more of their course load either as web-enhanced, hybrid, or online.
3. Faculty teaching computer intensive courses or those who heavily utilize computers in the teaching of their classes
Desktops are generally more powerful than laptops, and so a laptop may not provide instructors with the computing power necessary for course preparation.
C. Staff
Management team members will identify any key staff who are to be considered for a laptop.
II. General Guidelines
The guidelines for distribution and use of laptops are:
A. Desktop use
In general, users must choose either a laptop or a desktop. Laptops will be equipped with a docking station or port replicator such that they may be connected to a full size monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals. Faculty or staff who are assigned laptops are required to keep them on campus while at work.
Because of the need for specialized equipment or software, laptops may not be cost effective for some users. In these instances, users will continue to be assigned desktops.
B. Business Use Only
Because of license requirements, college owned laptops may be used for college related activities only.
C. Software
To the extent possible, OIT will install the same software (Office Suite, Datatel client, etc.) on laptops as installed on College desktops. Course specific software will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and may need departmental approval. OIT will only install supported software, and no unlicensed software will be installed under any conditions.
D. Acceptable Use
The use of laptops, including off-campus use, is strictly regulated by the College's Acceptable Use Policy, Guidelines, and Procedures.
http://www.bergen.edu/doit/policies.asp
E. Equipment return
Laptops must be returned to OIT if requested or if employment ends. No laptop will be upgraded or replaced unless the original equipment is returned in proper working order.
III. Policy re: loss, theft, or damage
Users are expected to take precautions to ensure that laptops are not stolen, lost, or damaged. If laptops are lost, stolen, or otherwise damaged such that they cannot be restored to normal working order, the employee may be responsible for the prorated cost of the laptop (first year: 100%; second year, 75%; third year, 50%; fourth year, 25%). In case of theft or loss, the user must file a report with the College's Department of Public Safety. Users are encouraged to check their home insurance policies regarding coverage. The College will evaluate the circumstances of the theft or loss to determine if the required reimbursement should be waived.
In general, lost, stolen, or damaged laptops will be replaced with desktops from the pool of available cascaded computers. These computers will subsequently be upgraded according to the college's lifecycle refresh plan for desktops. At that time, users may be eligible for consideration for a laptop.
IV. Virus, Hacking, and Security Protection
To ensure that virus protection and other security patches are current, laptops must be docked and connected to the College's network over night at least once every two weeks. Users who are off-campus for more than two weeks must contact the Help Desk before docking and reconnecting their laptops to the College network. In the case of a significant security alert, users may be contacted by e-mail and/or voicemail, to bring in their laptops to the helpdesk to ensure proper security is enabled on the laptop. Further, in the case of a low security threat level, OIT may choose to waive or extend the two week requirement.
V. Support
OIT support of college owned laptops will be equivalent to that provided for college owned desktop computers. Direct support will only be provided while laptops are on campus, and laptops requiring support must be docked.
Users will need their own ISP accounts if they wish to connect to the Internet from home, and may install any drivers or other software required by their ISP for remote connectivity. Specific questions regarding connecting remotely must be referred to the users' ISPs.
Because laptops are provided for college related work, no personal software may be installed.
