The University should provide public access to equipment, and should develop equitable access and distribution policies. The University's primary responsibility is to provide all departments and units with an appropriate level of computing and support resources. Its secondary responsibility is to provide specialized assistance to departments and individuals with more advanced technological needs. Given the uncertainties associated with rapid technological change, and in order to achieve the most effective use of resources, careful definition of directions and standards is imperative. Well defined standards serve to communicate and focus attention on the mainstream of campus computing, support, and services.
Standards also assist the community in making informed decisions regarding computing.
The University should assist users when standards change. Policies should not prohibit users from varying from the established standards and directions. Users deciding to adopt non-standard equipment and software should, however, be carefully advised of any known limitations and be given clear expectations as to the restricted support they might anticipate. These are described in available documents, but changes in technology often raise new ethical, legal, and moral questions that demand the attention of and discussion by the academic community. Since it is important for Brown to function as a community of scholars, the possibilities of using technology to augment connectivity and communications should be exploited.