The policy on the acquisition, maintenance and replacement of equipment for instruction and research was discussed with the science chairs and the Committee on Academic Computing and took effect in February 1997.
Priority is to be given to equipment used principally for instruction.
We will continue to use restricted income earmarked for equipment, from gifts, grants and the endowment, to offset as much of this expense as possible. To facilitate that initiative, the Grants Officer is committed to working with departments in a more concerted manner. It must remain, however, one of the responsibilities of a department chair to work with the Director of Computing Services, or his designee, to plan and maintain the functionality of those facilities which the departments use in their teaching and research. The regular cooperation between individual departments and Computing Services will enable us to have appropriate computer-based facilities for all basic, broadly used applications. Individual departments are responsible for budgeting for specialized software and may need to provide knowledgeable teaching assistants or monitors to assist student users, as appropriate.