Technology Purchasing Policy

According to College guidelines, all computer hardware (including mobile device, printer, etc.) and software purchasing should be processed through LITS.  All software and equipment purchased via College budgets (including grants and research funds) is considered to be property of the College.

The easiest way to get started is by contacting the Help Desk (x7440, help@brynmawr.edu). 

• If you know what you want, you can request that a certain item or items be purchased on your behalf, or that pricing be provided to you.  Be sure to include your budget number for the purchase (and be sure to secure the prior approval of the budget's administrator if the budget isn't yours).
• Or, ask for a consult to determine what equipment or software might suit your needs or be a suitable replacement for what you have now.

LITS cannot go forward with a purchase without valid College budget information, and cannot accept personal funds toward College equipment.

Equipment Purchasing

Please be aware that while LITS can purchase a wide variety of hardware and software, not all will be equally supported.  Please query if you are unsure about the support of the item(s) you have identified.  The hardware identified on each year's standard computers list is always a safe option.

When there is an option to purchase “professional” or “enterprise” equipment, we will typically encourage (or occasionally require) this, both for supportability and longevity.  We also require the purchase of whatever extended warranty is available with next-day on-site service whenever possible, including accidental damage protection for laptops and mobile devices. This largely applies to larger value items such as computers, printers, displays, server equipment, UPSs, etc. We don't typically require the same quality or have the same concerns related to small-value peripherals such as keyboards, mice, CD/DVD drives, etc.

Equipment Replacement and Repair

Any equipment not funded by the LITS replacement fund is the fiscal responsibility of the department or individual who ordered it.  This means that when it's time to replace that equipment, funds will need to be provided by a department, grant, or research fund.  Also, if repairs are needed to a grant or department funded device which are not covered by the purchased warranty, the department or individual will need to provide funds to pay for that repair.  Apple offers only 3 years of protection and a co-pay for damage repairs under Applecare+; this is a new program, and older machines may not have accidental damage protection.

Software Purchasing and Upgrades

Some pieces of software needed by individuals or departments have a license cost that is not paid centrally by the College (although the cost is often significantly reduced).  These licenses were usually originally funded by a department’s operational or reserve funds, or a faculty member’s grant or research fund. 

Common software packages requiring licensing are Endnote, Filemaker Pro, etc. Please note that many software packages such as products from Adobe, ESRI (Arc), SPSS, etc. are available by request and without charge due to centrally provided licensing.

Software titles are often purchased via LITS, and this is the College's authorized practice.  For software installed on a desktop or laptop, one should be prepared to purchase upgrades to most software packages about every two (2) years. A department will often choose to fund an individual member's software needs if the software supports an operational or pedagogical need.

“Cloud” or “Hosted” Software/Software-as-a-Service

If you are using an outside service for College business, you must abide by the Data Handling Policy.  Also, if you are using or plan to use a service where College data may be stored, be sure to talk to LITS and the College Counsel’s office to ensure that the service you are using is safe and meets College guidelines.

Personal Purchases

While, LITS does maintain a list of discounts and free-to-use software, LITS does not purchase or facilitate purchase of personal equipment.