Campus Workstation Program ("CWP") Policy [Effective 3/24/26]

The purpose of this policy is to outline and establish clear criteria for RISD’s Campus Workstation Program in order to reduce overall costs to the institution and improve data protection.

This policy applies to all RISD faculty and staff.

• Computer: a desktop or laptop
• End-of-life: a time period that describes the end of a computer’s useful period. For laptops, this is generally four years past the date of purchase; for desktops, this is generally five years past the date of purchase.

RISD’s Information Technology Services (“ITS”) and Finance departments have developed a Campus Workstation Program (“CWP”). The CWP is designed to replace all out-of-warranty computers, create replacement cycles for all computers, establish campus standards for computer configurations, and provide a centrally funded budget, managed by RISD IT Services, for the purchase and refresh of all institutionally managed faculty and staff computers.

The central CWP budget will provide for the scheduled purchase and replacement of one desktop or laptop computer for each eligible faculty and staff member. Desktop and laptop computer configurations are chosen to allow diversity in brands and operating systems, yet provide enough similarities so that support can be optimally maintained. Standardization also reduces cost through volume purchasing discounts and vendor agreements.

Please refer to the CWP Computer Configuration Menu for available CWP desktop and laptop options. The central budget for the CWP will cover the full cost of many standard CWP desktop and laptop options. The standard options should be adequate for most RISD faculty and staff.

Eligibility Criteria and Program Details

Full-time Faculty and Staff

• Only one computer per full-time faculty or staff will be purchased and subsequently refreshed at the current standard.
• Laptops and standard configurations will be encouraged for all personnel unless their specific job requires more advanced computing resources.
• All-in-one desktop systems and standard configurations will be encouraged for all personnel who do not require frequent mobility.
• Tablets (iPads, etc.) may be purchased with departmental/divisional funds and department head approval, but will not be included in the CWP or subsequently refreshed with CWP funds.
• Desktop and laptop computers purchased through the CWP will be covered by a 4-year manufacturer warranty, as applicable, based on the available manufacturer warranty for the specific computer make/model and each device’s anticipated campus lifecycle.
• RISD Departmental/Divisional IT support and/or central RISD ITS support will facilitate warranty repair directly through the manufacturer or any authorized service provider.
• Costs associated with the necessary replacement or repair of computers or accessories lost, stolen, or damaged beyond normal usage wear and tear or warranty coverage will be the responsibility of the RISD department/division assigned the equipment.
• Computer systems purchased or leased outside the scope of this policy may not be supported or serviced by RISD IT Services and may not be processed, paid, or reimbursed by RISD IT Services.
• All computer systems purchased, reimbursed or leased with RISD funds, regardless of the source or dollar value, remain the property of RISD or the leasing company.

New Employees

• When a new full-time faculty or staff member is hired to fill a new position that has not existed before, the hiring department/division will have to budget for funds to cover the full cost to purchase the new employee’s first computer. Thereafter, the refresh of the computer will fall under the CWP budget for refreshment.
• Replacement faculty/staff hires should receive the computer previously used by the employee they replaced.
• All computers must be purchased with the approval of RISD IT Services and/or through the CWP.

Adjunct, Part-Time Faculty / Temporary and Part-Time Staff

• Adjunct, part-time faculty, and temporary or part-time staff may not be supplied with a personally assigned computer. If required, shared systems may be checked out to adjunct faculty and temporary staff on a temporary basis. Refer to the Faculty and Staff Equipment Loan Policy under Related Policies.

Appropriate Desktop and Laptop Configuration Selection

A CWP-approved desktop or laptop configuration will be recommended for each eligible RISD faculty or staff member based on their individual software requirements and the nature of the RISD work they perform. Employees shall have the following options when purchasing/replacing their RISD computer.

Faculty and staff whose position requires the use of software that is only available for the Windows OS, and does not run natively on Mac OS, may not have the option to choose an Apple desktop or laptop. Dual partition “Boot Camp” on a Mac or otherwise installing the Windows OS on an Apple Mac computer is not centrally supported by RISD IT Services.

Position Criteria	Option 1	Option 2
Position does not require mobility	Windows-based all-in-one desktop	Mac-iMac all-in-one desktop (if appropriate)
Position requires frequent travel or mobility	Windows-based laptop	Mac-based laptop (if appropriate)
Position requires higher-end processing power (e.g., Power User/Digital Designer)	Windows-based laptop with Discrete / Dedicated Graphics Card	Apple Laptop - MacBook Pro

Alternative configurations are considered on an as-needed/as-required, case-by-case basis and will require Divisional approval and Divisional/Departmental funding. Recognizing that some faculty and staff’s work requires more advanced computing resources, we have identified several alternative configurations available. Many of the alternative configurations do require supplemental funding from individual RISD departmental/divisional budgets. Please refer to the CWP Computer Configuration Menu for details regarding associated costs.

Refresh of Existing Systems

• Computer systems will be refreshed within the fiscal year in which the hardware is determined to be end-of-life.
• Tablet devices (iPads, etc.) are purchased outside of the CWP with departmental/divisional funds and are not refreshed through the CWP.
• The IT Services department will maintain a website that indicates the current recommended and supported computer models. Only these models will be used for the CWP program.
• A computer will be refreshed on a one-to-one basis only. Any old system must be returned to the RISD IT Services department for proper disposition. Replacements for any systems stolen or lost must be purchased with the assigned department’s/division’s funds. The assigned department will be responsible for paying any remaining balance or penalty associated with the computer lease agreement. Stolen or lost computers will not be refreshed until the department pays the lease balance or replaces the lost or stolen items, as applicable.

Disposition of Computer Equipment

• For computers due to be refreshed and those assigned to separating employees (including temporary employees)
• All computer systems purchased, reimbursed or leased with RISD funds remain the property of RISD or the leasing company.
• RISD will not sell or transfer ownership of computer systems to present or separating employees.
• For computers due for refresh, RISD IT Services will proactively schedule the installation of the new computer and the removal of the old computer with each Department / assigned end-user. This will include advanced notice and end-user instructions for timely data backup and transfer preparation.
• Departments must notify RISD IT Services when faculty/staff leave the College/Department.
• All computer systems must be scheduled to be removed by RISD IT Services within seven days of an employee’s final date of employment.
  • If the time between a departing employee’s last day of employment and the new employee’s start date is less than 30 days, RISD IT Services may choose to leave the existing system at the workspace instead of removing it.

Lost, Damaged, or Stolen Items

• Any computers or accessories that stop functioning under normal operating conditions and are not due to misuse or accident will be repaired/replaced by the manufacturer's warranty or the central CWP budget. Faculty and staff will receive a service loaner while their CWP computer is being repaired in accordance with the Faculty and Staff Equipment Loan Policy.
• Any computers or accessories that are lost or stolen must be replaced from the department/division's funds assigned to the original equipment. If the lost or stolen device is a computer, the department/division will be responsible for paying the remaining balance of the computer lease or applicable penalty as determined by the lease agreement. These items will not be refreshed until the department pays the lease balance/penalty or replaces the lost or stolen items.
• Any computers or accessories that are lost or stolen must be reported to RISD IT Services as quickly as possible.
• Any computers or accessories that are damaged beyond normal wear and tear or warranty coverage must be replaced via departmental/divisional funds of the department assigned the original equipment. If the damaged device is a computer, the department will be responsible for paying the remaining balance of the computer lease. These items will not be refreshed until the department pays the lease balance or replaces the damaged items.

RISD IT Services Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate inventory records in the College’s inventory management system.
• Provide for computer support, service, and maintenance (in partnership with RISD departmental/divisional IT service/support personnel) during the computer life cycle.
• Annually establish, in conjunction with appropriate advisors or advisory bodies, the computer workstation desktop/laptop purchasing standard.

RISD Departmental Responsibilities

• Assist RISD IT Services with the collection of computer inventory information and maintaining accurate records, including the installation of asset management and
  inventory software.
• Notify RISD IT Services when new positions (requiring the use of a computer) are created.
• Notify RISD IT Services when faculty/staff assigned a RISD-owned computer separate from the College/Department.
• Costs associated with the purchase of additional items such as external displays, docking stations, additional keyboards/mice, etc.
• On an annual basis, each Division/Department may be given a list of computers to verify their location and return to RISD IT Services for inventory verification and reconciliation.

Policy Sanctions

RISD reserves the right to review alleged violations of this policy in conjunction with other appropriate offices and under other applicable College policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements, including but not limited to those listed under Related Policies. Failure to comply with this policy and other Related Policies is subject to disciplinary action and sanctions per applicable disciplinary procedures.

Damage to or loss of workstation equipment may result in fees charged to the user’s department.

• Faculty and Staff Equipment Loan Policy

This policy was last reviewed/modified on: 3/9/2026

Next scheduled review: 3/9/2028

Issuing Office

IT Services

Responsible Officer

Chief Information Officer

Individuals/offices required for review and changes

IT Services Operations Technical Manager