Equipment Purchasing Standards

CLAS Computing Equipment Purchasing Standards

Purpose

Faculty and staff of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences regularly require the purchase of computer equipment and peripherals to support their teaching, administrative and scholarly activities. The purpose of this standard is to define guidelines and expectations when making these purchases.

Relevant Purchases

This standard applies to computing equipment purchased with any CLAS fund and includes computers (desktop, laptop or server), printers, multifunction devices, scanners; any other peripherals. CLAS accounts include general education, research grant, student technology fees; any source of CLAS funds or awards. This equipment must meet the standards of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and be suitable for use on the campus network. All purchases must take advantage of university pricing and discounts, if available.

Purchasing Guidelines

Computers

Computers should be selected and purchased from the current campus computer bid specials found here: https://its.uiowa.edu/buying-computer-education-discounts. If a computer other than a configuration on the campus bid is preferred, the departmental IT professional and the DEO must approve it. In order to take advantage of educational discounts, UI purchases should not be made from personal purchase sites such as dell.com, delllounge.com or from local vendors. Contact your CLAS TS consultant for advice and/or questions. All computers should be purchased with a minimum three year warranty for laptops and four year warranty for desktops.

Print Devices

When possible, printers should be selected from the current campus printer bid specials found here:  https://its.uiowa.edu/support/article/104301. All networked printers should have duplex printing capability and must carry a three year extended warranty. Service contracts may be purchased if desired. Local desktop printer purchases are highly discouraged and must have prior DEO approval.

Other Peripheral Equipment

Please contact your CLAS TS consultant for assistance with any peripheral purchase.

Purchasing Process

  • Departmental Administrators or end users are required to work with their assigned CLAS TS consultant prior to purchasing all computing related equipment, which includes computers, printers, multifunction devices, scanners, and any other peripherals. This does not include small supply items such as cables, cords, mice or consumables such as toner cartridges.
  • CLAS TS consultants are in the best position to assess what equipment is appropriate to fill the need of the user and to find the best price available for the purchase. 
  • A list of CLAS TS consultant departmental assignments can be found at https://clas.uiowa.edu/it-group/departmental-assignments.
  • All equipment purchases must have prior approval from the departmental DEO or their delegate (Departmental Administrator). 
  • When initiating the purchase, select the CLAS_IT_Approve WorkFlow path as your CLAS TS consultant is a required approver on every computing related equipment purchase. After the form is approved at the CLAS_IT_Approve sublevel, it will then automatically route through the departmental path. See the below chart (not inclusive) detailing which purchases are required to be routed on the CLAS_IT_Approve WorkFlow path.
  • Purchases on Institutional Account 6082, with the exception of printers, and some on 6080 may be purchased on a UI PCard. However, in addition to ad-hocing the PCard holder, the PCard Voucher initiator must also select the CLAS_IT_Approve WorkFlow path.  All other IT purchases need to go through the eBuy/Preq process.
Institutional Accounts Definitions

6080 - Software Non Capitalized

Software purchased for less than $500,000 per copy and license or has a useful life of less than two years

6081 - Computers & Smart Devices <5k

Includes Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, and handheld smart devices.
6082 - Printers, Peripheral Devices<5k Includes monitors, keyboards, mouse; memory sticks, USB drives, external/internal drives, keyboards, multi-use copiers, speakers, IT assistive technology devices.
6083 - Server, Networking, Storage<5k Includes servers, switches, routers, access points, SANs, firewalls, load balancers, or other related equipment.
6266 - IT Hardware Maint & Fees Charges for maintenance, or ongoing support of IT Hardware, includes periodic maintenance costs (i.e. Annual), initial support or maintenance costs (i.e. Apple Care), extended hardware warranty costs, contracts for ongoing upgrades, bug and security fixes, patches, etc. to hardware specific code.
6407 - IT Software Maintenance & Fees Charges for maintenance or ongoing support of software, includes periodic maintenance costs (i.e. Annual), initial software support or maintenance costs, contracts for ongoing software upgrades, bug and security fixes, patches, etc., fees associated with software usage.
6431 - IT Hardware Rentals and Leases Rental and operating (non-capitalized) lease payments made to organizations, businesses, government agencies and individuals for use of Information Technology equipment. Includes printers and multi-use copiers.
6731 - IT Equip Capitalized >5k

Includes networking equipment, servers, storage equipment, printers.

Note: Non-IT Equipment use 6730 - Non-IT Movable Equipment Capitalized.

Faculty or staff that purchase computers or computing equipment with personal funds will not be reimbursed by their department or the college. All computing equipment must be purchased with university funds.

Resources

CLAS Technology Services is available to help with these purchases. We can assist in the identification of appropriate equipment to meet the need while satisfying requirements for the warranty, security and usability. Your departmental TS support staff is listed here: https://clas.uiowa.edu/it-group/departmental-assignments.

The University policy for purchasing can be found here: https://opsmanual.uiowa.edu/administrative-financial-and-facilities-policies/purchasing.