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Software Support and Definitions of Support Policy
Student Computing Services provides two categories of application software to
its users:
- General-purpose software, which comprise Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, PowerePoint, and
Word), Netscape Navigator, and Internet Explorer, etc.
- Discipline-specific software, such as Diet Analysis (nutrition software), IOC (inorganic
chemistry software), Xilinx (circuit design software), etc.
Software in the general-purpose category has the potential to be used by the greatest number
of users. Software in the discipline-specific category requires the user to possess a knowledge of a discipline of
subject before it can be adequately used.
General-purpose software will be installed and supported under the following
conditions:
Copyright: Student Computing Services will ensure copyright compliance for software in
this category.
Documentation: Student Computing Services will make use of online
documentation of software in this category where possible.
Installation: Student Computing Services' staff will install and upgrade software in
this category only during the Christmas and summer breaks.
Support: Student Computing Services' student consultants will be able to
provide assistance with the basic features of the software in this category.
Testing: Student Computing Services' staff will test the functionality of the
software in this category.
Funding: Student Computing Services will be responsible for funding, if needed, in
acquiring products in this category.
Discipline-specific software will be installed and supported under the following
conditions:
Copyright: The instructor requesting the software installation must furnish Student
Computing Services' staff with a copy of the proof of copyright compliance before the software will be
installed.
This proof may take the form of a purchase order, a letter from the software manufacturer granting permission to
use the software for a specified period of time, etc.
Documentation: The instructor requesting the software installation must furnish a
complete set of documentation, to be used by Student Computing Services' staff and to be made available to users
of the software.
Installation: Student Computing Services' staff will install and upgrade software in this
category only during the Christmas and summer breaks.
Because of the many requests for software installation that occur at the beginning of each semester, please note
that software received after the designated deadlines may not be available at the desired time. The deadline for
software to be installed by the beginning of the fall semester is June 30 prior to the fall semester. The deadline
for software to be installed by the beginning of the spring semester is the last day of finals during the fall
semester.
Software requiring individual hardware locks (dongles) cannot be installed because SCS cannot be responsible for
stolen locks. Dedicated licensing servers may require the requesting department to supply a computer for the
license server as well as any software licenses need to run a license server (e.g. MS Windows Server).
Support: Student Computing Services' student consultants will be able to start
software in this category, but may not be able to provide any further support.
Support of discipline-specific software will be the responsibility of the college or department of the
instructor requesting the software installation. An appropriate technology coordinator could be the focal point
for the support of discipline-specific software.
Testing: The instructor requesting software installation will be responsible for
testing the functionality of the software on a lab computer prior to the software being distributed to the
remainder of the computers in the lab(s).
Funding: The requesting department will be responsible for providing funding to acquire
proper
licensing for software in this category.
Contention regarding this policy will be mediated by the Sr. Director for Academic and Research Technology and/or the
Vice President for Information Technology.
Updated/Reviewed: October 2004
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