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Summary
This policy outlines the standards and procedures for the procurement, ownership, reassignment, and lifecycle management of technology equipment at SUNY Cortland. It ensures consistency, efficiency, and compliance with institutional, SUNY, and legal requirements.
Scope
This policy applies to all technology equipment purchased with SUNY Cortland or Research Foundation funds, including desktop and laptop computers, peripherals, software, and cloud services. It governs equipment assigned to faculty, staff, and departments, and includes guidelines for procurement, reassignment, disposal, and support.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to:
• Establish clear guidelines for the acquisition, ownership, and management of technology equipment.
• Promote standardization, sustainability, and security across campus technology assets.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of institutional resources.
• Support SUNY Cortland’s strategic priorities and mission.
Policy Statement
Ownership
All technology equipment purchased by SUNY Cortland is owned by the University. Equipment purchased by other entities (e.g., the Research Foundation) through Information Resources (IR) is owned by that entity. Equipment may be assigned to departments or individuals during employment, but ownership remains with the purchasing entity. IR maintains custodial records of all inventoried equipment assets and must be notified of any reassignment or relocation.
Procurement
All technology purchases must follow SUNY Cortland’s procurement policies and be approved by the department head, dean or associate vice president, and the Associate Provost for Information Resources. Use of IR-preferred computer hardware models and manufacturers is required unless an exception is approved. All requests for computing equipment must be submitted via the online hardware/software request system in myRedDragon. Computing equipment that was not purchased and approved through IR will not receive standard technical support or implementation services and will not be eligible for connection to the University’s private network.
Reassignment
Equipment may be reassigned within the department that purchased it. IR must be notified to maintain accurate asset records. Equipment cannot be transferred informally between users or departments. If a staff member changes departments, equipment typically remains with the department that originally purchased it, unless both department heads agree otherwise. Computers reassigned between different departments or user roles will be re-imaged to destroy data related to their original use.
Support Lifecycle
The standard replacement lifecycle for computers is five years. Departments should plan for replacement funding and maintenance costs at the time of equipment procurement. Faculty will be notified of their eligibility for computer replacement by IR in accordance with our Faculty Device Replacement Plan.
IR will continue to provide technical support for computers beyond the recommended refresh date, provided the device can: 1) run a current version of Windows or macOS with the latest critical updates, 2) run our Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) client and 3) run our current device management client. Hardware repair and refurbishment will not be performed on devices older than 5 years unless deemed to be significantly more cost-effective than device replacement and approved by the Director of Campus Technology Services.
Surplus and Disposal
Equipment being removed from service must be returned to IR for evaluation. Surplus or obsolete equipment must be disposed of in compliance with SUNY, state, and federal regulations. IR coordinates disposal in association with the Property Control Officer. Equipment will be evaluated for disposal of or added to IR’s surplus inventory.
Damaged, Lost, or Stolen Equipment
Employees are responsible for equipment assigned to them. Incidents of loss, theft, or damage must be reported immediately to the Technology Help Center who will also notify University Police. Local police should be notified of the theft when it occurs off campus.
In cases of gross negligence or a deliberate act, the employee or their department is responsible for repair or replacement costs.