The Technology Budget Planning Process for 2009 - 2010: How it affects you

Calvin College provides funding for desktop computers and software through the Academic Technology Budget and the Administrative Technology Budget. These are centralized budgets, managed by CIT, that provide funding for both administrative and academic technology needs. The academic technology budget includes technology in all teaching spaces including departmental computer labs, public computer labs, the mobile computer lab, off-campus labs, and Smart Classrooms as well as faculty offices. The administrative budget provides technology for staff offices.

Each year department chairpersons, department directors, and/or department budget officers are asked to submit their technology requests through an annual budget request process. CIT has sent a letter to department chairpersons, department directors, and or department budget officers initiating this year’s technology budget planning process. If you have a technology request that should be included in this year's budget process please present it to the appropriate person in your department as soon as possible.

What to Include in Your Technology Budget

• Additional Office Technology Needs: Appropriate items to request include additional desktop computer equipment, software for offices and computer labs, printers, scanners, and other peripheral equipment. Automatic computer replacements do not need to be included in your request
  (Additional information.)
• Staffing Changes: If you anticipate any staffing changes which may impact the number of workstations needed in your department, please include this information in your budget request.
• Other Technology: Anything outside of the Current Hardware Standards. Hardware Purchasing
• Software: Software requests for office use as well as for use in teaching spaces should be included in your request.
  You can also refer to our page on Software Standards.
• Software License Renewals: Annual software licenses which were originally paid from the Technology Budget should be included in your request to make sure that funding is included in the budget for these items.
• Smart Classrooms: More than one hundred of Calvin's classrooms are equipped as Smart Classrooms. If your department needs additional Smart Classrooms this is the time to make such those requests.
• CalvinWireless: CIT will continue deployment of CalvinWireless in 2009 -2010. See additional information.

What Not to Include in Your Technology Budget

• Automatic Computer Replacements: CIT automatically plans on replacing Primary desktop systems which have completed three years of service (Life Cycle Replacement.) Departments do not need to include these items in their budget requests. Hardware Replacement Schedule
• Non-Computer Items: Items for which CIT does not provide funding are copy machines, digital cameras, typewriters, fax machines, audio visual equipment, and scientific instruments.
• Small Item Peripherals: Personal digital assistants (PDA's, such as Palm Pilots), USB memory sticks, blank CD's and the like are not funded by the technology budget.

Technology requests should be returned to CIT by Friday, February 27, 2009.