- Consistent with the enabling RCW, the primary intent of the mandatory technology fee is to collect funds, which will be used to benefit the greatest number of students possible. In this light, the STFC’s top priority is to ensure that “General Use” technology spaces and computer labs have priority funding for equipment renewal. The expressed goal of the STFC is to fund for student general access technologies. The STFC is in support of a five-year equipment replacement cycle; however, actual funding levels may permit the STFC’s ability to adjust the replacement cycle for all STFC funded technologies.
- The STFC encourages General Use computer labs to provide students with a consistent computing platform, for students’ common computing needs. In order to foster this consistency, all STFC funded technologies will conform to those standards as established by The Office of Information Technology. Moreover, those technologies and services funded by the STFC must be configured, deployed, managed, and supported by The Office of Information Technology and in compliance with university standards (i.e., computing, networking, telecommunications, space usage, and electrical standards).
- The STFC is concerned that technology fee monies be spent on prevailing technology needs of the general student population. For this reason, requests must clearly justify and document the need for the requested item(s). For example, requests for equipment designed to reduce lab wait lists may be justified by providing summary reports of lab traffic/usage patterns over the course of prior academic terms.
- The STFC intends to fund requests that most directly benefit the general technology use of Eastern students. The STFC looks to the department, college, or unit to fund requests for expenses such as, but not limited to, the following: (1) consumable items such as paper, toner, diskettes, office supplies, etc., (2) maintenance or repair of equipment funded on a one-time basis, (3) other costs such as security, electrical, heating, promotional costs, printing, etc.
- The STFC intends that funds be spent on technologies such as computing hardware (computers, printers, etc.) and general use computing software with a minimal percentage of funds being spent on other items (see above the definition of the “sticker rule”).
- The STFC may not be able to fund all projects and therefore, projects that do not seem to indicate significant student demand as indicated by student input and other supporting documentation are less likely to receive funding.
- The STFC will review historical materials to understand the focus and intent of each lab’s service level for general student use. These materials include, but may not be limited to: an audit of previous spending patterns; documentation which supports the cooperation and effort of the lab to work with other general use computer labs; input from the university’s computing governance structure; and student, faculty, and staff input regarding the lab’s service level for general student use.
- RCW 28B.15.051 stipulates that the technology fee be used “exclusively for technology resources for general student use.” Requests for funds for items that deviate from that tenant fall outside of the scope of this committee.
Eastern Washington University
