Faculty and Staff Equipment Loan Policy

This policy is designed to clearly delineate the parameters for borrowing and safeguarding equipment on loan from RISD Media Resources (“MRC”).

This policy applies to all RISD faculty and staff.

• Borrower: a RISD faculty or staff member who assumes responsibility for checking out and using MRC’s equipment provided by the College under its equipment loan program.
• Service Loaner: a laptop provided to a full-time employee by MRC for a period longer than the standard 5-day loan while their RISD-issued laptop is being repaired or serviced.
• Late Equipment: equipment returned after the return due date.
• Computer Workstation Program (“CWP”): a program that centralizes the purchase and refresh of RISD faculty and staff computers. The CWP is designed to replace all out-of-warranty computers, establish replacement cycles for all computers, and establish campus standards for computer configurations. It also provides a centrally funded budget, managed by RISD IT Services, for the purchase and refresh of all institutionally managed faculty and staff computers.

The mission of MRC is to enhance the teaching and learning experiences of the RISD community and ensure that all members feel included and fully supported at RISD. MRC provides audiovisual (“AV”) needs to the RISD community through several types of services, including professional equipment loans.

STANDARD LOANS

• Length of Loan - All standard loans are for a period of five business days.
• Renewals – All efforts will be made to accommodate renewal requests; however, there is no guarantee of automatic extensions after the initial five-business-day loan period, especially in the last half of each semester when usage is traditionally highest.
  • Renewals will not be made once the loan is overdue.
  • Renewal requests must be made the day before the due date by replying to the Automated Reminder Email.
• Late Equipment - Return of all checked-out equipment is due half an hour before closing on the fifth business day. Failure to return equipment on time will result in the borrower’s supervisor being notified. After a loan is 30 days late, the equipment will be considered lost. A replacement fee will be issued to the borrower’s department. The borrower and the borrower’s supervisor will be notified.
  • Fall/Spring Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
  • Winter/Summer Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • MRC is closed on RISD Holidays

SERVICE LOANERS

• MRC maintains an inventory of Mac and PC laptops that are loaned to full-time faculty and staff who are having their RISD-provided Campus Workstation Program (“CWP”) computer repaired or replaced. Service Loaners are designed to be an adjunct to on-campus and personal computing, and generally serve exceptional circumstances that require “replacement” machines for academic use.
• Checkout length is 10 business days.
  • Renewals can be requested if you have not received your computer back by the 10th business day.
• Those who do not have a RISD-provided CWP computer, proof of shipping or repair status with a date, must be sent to MRC to qualify for this loan. No renewals will be made if no proof of status can be provided.

TERMS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• All equipment is thoroughly tested before loan and is guaranteed to be in proper working condition. Borrowers are required to report all damage, loss, or malfunction immediately, and will be held financially responsible for any lost, stolen, or broken items
• Loss or damage will be calculated at the full replacement cost of the current model.
• All associated repair/replacement costs will be billed to the borrower’s departmental budget.
• No checkouts will be permitted until all outstanding balances are paid in full through the borrower’s departmental budget.
• All loans will end on the last day of the semester. No loans will be made over extended school breaks (i.e., Winter & Summer Break).
• All borrowers must sign an Equipment Loan Agreement before receiving RISD property. By signing the loan agreement and accepting the terms of use, the borrower agrees to comply with all applicable College policies regarding the proper use, care, return, and security of the equipment.

EQUIPMENT RETURNS

• Return all equipment to the RISD Auditorium lobby half an hour before closing time on the designated return date.
• Final returns of all loaned equipment:
  • All other checkout loans must be returned by the final due date.
  • If alternate return arrangements are not made, Media Resources will assume the equipment will not be returned. RISD must replace any equipment no longer in its inventory with new equipment; therefore, the borrower’s departmental budget will be charged the full replacement cost of the loaned equipment as stated in this policy.

For procedures on how to utilize Media Resources Checkout, please visit MRC's website.

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.

Failure to follow this policy may result in loss of checkout privileges. Lost or damaged equipment can result in loss of checkout privileges and/or the payment of fees.

This policy was created on

This policy was last reviewed/modified on: 10/27/2025

Next scheduled review: 8/27/2027

Issuing Office

RISD Media Resources

Responsible Officer

Chief Information Officer

Individuals/offices required for review and changes

Media Resources Supervisor

A/V Technical Assistant