IT 060 - Computing Device Support

Policy

CWI strives to provide a reliable computing device platform in which end users have confidence and which will enhance the workflow and productivity of the college community. Accordingly, CWI has adopted the following standards for the purpose of providing high quality service and support. These standards will lead to high quality service and support. If a department or unit needs other desktop products to provide for the scholarship or special needs of that department, then it is important to devote the resources needed to guarantee assistance for users of those products. These standards are set forth to provide consistency, support and the exchange of information as well as access to, and use of, the College’s business systems. In addition, these standards allow for compatibility and thorough, consistent support from the IT Department, co-workers, and vendors. They ensure that information can be distributed in a format and manner that the College community can read, use, and understand, thus promoting a productive working and education environment. A process for exceptions provides for specialized needs.

Guidelines

Responsibility

Responsibility for these standards belongs to CWI’s Chief Information Officer (CIO). Standards will be periodically evaluated and reviewed. Hardware and software, including groupware applications such as virtual whiteboard, distance learning, hosted storage, and collaborative computing will be examined on a regular basis. The Enterprise Technology Advisory Committee and Academic Technology Advisory Committee (standing committees with representation from all areas of CWI) will make recommendations on additions, deletions and/or modifications to these standards. This committee will review the current standards on a regularly scheduled basis. Others wishing to make recommendations may make them directly to the CIO.

Updates of Supported Products

A list of supported products will be updated regularly and be made available to the CWI community on the web.

• It is the responsibility of individual departments and Users to access the web and stay current on what products and versions of products are supported and recommended.
• These standards apply to all acquisitions independent of acquisition method or funding source, e.g., grants, donations, rental or leases, etc.

Standards

Full Support

For purposes of this policy, “full support” means that support from the product vendor is still available. Further, assuming that the product is fully compatible with campus administrative systems, IT staff members are fully product knowledgeable and documentation is available. For fully supported products, Users may expect problem resolution, user seminars may be offered, and product consultation may be arranged.

Partial Support

For purposes of this policy, “partial support” means the product may or may not be supported by the vendor, the product may not be fully compatible with campus administrative systems or specific known compatibility issues exist, and product documentation and user training is not available. Under these circumstances IT staff will provide a best effort to support the product.

Office Productivity Suite

Microsoft Office is supported for its compatibility with the campus administrative systems. The campus administrative systems dictate which versions of Office are covered by full support. All versions of Office will be supported throughout Microsoft’s Lifecycle Policy.

Web First

Users should remember that the Web is an extremely valuable way to distribute information, especially in a commuter institution like CWI. It is often preferable to the distribution of paper. Users should consider options for paperless distribution over printed distribution.

Mail and Calendaring

Microsoft Outlook is the fully supported college standard, which provides a collaborative environment for our campus community.

Web Browsers

The following web browsers are supported:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Chrome 
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari

The browsers and the different versions are supported throughout the browser’s (and specific version’s) life cycle. The campus administrative systems dictate which browsers are installed on CWI computers and covered by full support.

Desktop And Laptop Computers 

If required to perform his/her job duties, a User will be provided with a single computing device, a desktop or laptop. Exceptions require presidential approval.

The Operating System installed on the computer will be fully supported within the manufacturer’s support product life cycle or end of life statements. The campus administrative systems dictate the rate at which new Operating System versions can be introduced to campus Microsoft Windows. Life cycle information can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselect.

Windows-based computers will be fully supported for four (4) years after the purchase date. After four (4) years the computer will be partially supported. If a computer requires more than $300 dollars of repairs and/or upgrades, a replacement should be considered instead of the repair.

Information Technology will only support licensed versions of software, as set forth in CWI’s Software policy.

Laptop computers have become a good, practical, business purchase. Rugged laptops may be appropriate for Users who move around the institution, travel, or attend frequent meetings. The appropriate choice is encouraged. On the other hand, desktop machines should be purchased for Users who work mainly in their offices.

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices can be an appropriate choice for the on-the-go User and may be provided on a case-by-case basis with presidential approval. The appropriate device allows the User to stay in contact with the office, organize daily tasks, and carry important information electronically such as contacts or documents.

Mobile “information consumption” devices, such as the iPad, may be practical business purchases in limited instances. Administration staff and those employees who travel extensively and participate in many meetings may be assigned an iPad or other device in addition to their primary computing device. Obtaining such a device requires presidential approval.

Electrical Power

Surge protectors, not to be confused with power strips, are to be acquired and used with all computing equipment (PCs, printers, FAX machines, etc.).

Backups

Backups are an important part of computing. Lost or corrupted data means the re-entering of data and/or the possibility of data that can never be recovered. Thus, all business, academic and other College-owned work and documents are to be stored on the Users’ personal network drive (H:\) or a network drive (i.e. I:\). This ensures that information is appropriately backed up, should a hard drive fail.

Critical data must be stored on a file server where backups are performed automatically. Employees should check with the network administrator to determine what backups are performed. More information on server backups can be found in CWI’s Server Administration policy.

Storing data on local drives is not recommended and the safety of such data is the responsibility of the assigned User of the computer. All files created or revised each day should be backed up if they are stored on a local drive.

Cloud-Based Back Up And Storage

• Use of cloud computing services for work purposes must be formally authorized by CWI’s CIO. The CIO will certify that security, privacy and all other IT management requirements will be adequately addressed by the cloud computing vendor.
• For any cloud services that require Users to agree to terms of service, such agreements must be reviewed and approved by the CIO.
• The use of such services must comply with all other CWI policies, including but not limited to Information Technology Resource Use, Internet Usage, and Personal Computer Equipment and Software Support policies.
• Employees must not share log-in credentials with co-workers. The IT Department will keep a confidential document containing account information for business continuity purposes.
• The use of such services must comply with all laws and regulations governing the handling of personally identifiable information, corporate financial data or any other data owned or collected by CWI.
• The CIO decides what data may or may not be stored in the Cloud.
• Personal cloud services accounts may not be used for the storage, manipulation or exchange of College related communications or College-owned data.

The following table outlines the data classification and proper handling of CWI data.

Exceptions 

Any department or office that requires an exception to these standards should submit such a request in writing to the CIO. The request should state the following:

• The requested exception
• Justification
• A signed statement of support from the appropriate Dean or Director.
• Processing and review will require one week.

The User must commit funding and other appropriate resources to providing hardware and software support for the exception. Only CWI’s CIO and Vice President of Finance and Administration (VPFA) can authorize an exception to these standards.