This policy applies to university supplied laptops, docking stations, cell phones, tablets and all other computing and telecommunications equipment provided to individual faculty and staff.

Acceptable Use

Laptops and other technology equipment are provided to faculty and staff University employees in support of their position responsibilities. This equipment is intended to be used solely by the employee and cannot be shared with family, friends, or other employees.  

All employees must also familiarize themselves with the Computer Usage Policy, the Electronic Data Policy, and the Cloud Data Policy as well as other policies included in the faculty and staff handbooks.

Responsibilities

Employee Responsibilities

This equipment is the property of the University. It is the employee’s responsibility to maintain the equipment in their care as best they can and to protect the equipment from theft and damage. The employee may not physically alter or make any irreversible changes to the equipment. Upon separation from employment, the employee will return all equipment to the Computer Services Help Desk on or before their final day.

The employee is to promptly report any problems that arise to the Computer Services Help Desk. All repairs are to be handled by Rockhurst Computer Services. The employee is not to take the equipment anywhere else for any kind of service or repair unless explicitly instructed to do so. Employees are not to attempt to repair or alter any part of the equipment.

The employee is expected to be able to produce the equipment upon request by Computer Services, to provide any information regarding the equipment and to otherwise assist in attempts by Computer Services to confirm an accurate inventory. The employee is expected to bring the equipment in their care to Computer Services for system upgrades when notified to do so. Automatic updates that are pushed by Computer Services must be installed within 24 hours of notification of update.

Employee Termination

When an employee leaves the University, their network access must be terminated immediately and any university purchased laptops, cell phones, etc are to be returned to Computer Services for reimaging and reassignment after being retained for 30 days.

Computer Services Responsibilities

Computer Services will provide the equipment, software and any and all support of the system, including assistance in use and operation of the equipment and assistance with use of the software. Computer Services will provide full support of all uses of the equipment in all on-campus environments. Limited support will be provided for off-campus environments, as Computer Services cannot be held responsible for external factors such as problems with the employee’s home Internet Service Provider. Computer Services is only responsible for the use or functionality of software installed by Computer Services.

Data and Repair

Computer Services will always strive to preserve all files and data on the equipment when performing a repair, but it is ultimately the employee’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their data. In some rare situations, data recovery can prove to be impossible. Computer Services strongly recommends that the employee keep a backup of all important files on the network or approved cloud-based repositories. It is also the employee’s responsibility to use reasonable means to protect sensitive University information and confidential records. Reasonable means include not leaving the laptop logged in when unattended. Refer to the Electronic Data Policy for more information.

Rockhurst employees will not store business related or personal data on any Rockhurst issued computers.  This data is not backed up and could become a security risk if the computer is lost or stolen. Please refer to Rockhurst’s Data Retention Policy, Cloud Data Storage Policy and Computer Usage Policy.

Replacement

Refresh Cycle

All laptops in possession of the University are put on a refresh cycle. After a laptop has been in use for four years it will be replaced.  Peripheral equipment will be evaluated on the same cycle and be replaced as necessary.  Cell phones are generally refreshed on a 2-year cycle.  Please also see the Rockhurst University Policy on Wireless Devices.

Theft or Irreparable Damage

Should the equipment become lost or stolen, it is the employee’s responsibility to immediately report the theft to Campus Security and Computer Services. When reporting to Computer Services, employees should provide a listing of sensitive data that may be stored on the lost or stolen equipment so steps may be taken to protect that information from external attempts to misuse the data.

Employees are responsible for protecting University property and for returning equipment to Computer Services in reasonable condition. If the university issued equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged, Computer Services consults with the applicable President’s Council member to determine if the equipment will be replaced. The applicable President Council member’s department will be responsible for the full replacement cost.

Requests

Requests for new equipment can only be made by department heads and academic dean offices and must occur during the appropriate time during the budgeting process. Equipment replacement due to theft or irreparable damage can occur at any time, but must be reviewed by the appropriate department head, Dean, or Associate Dean, and the AVP for Information Technology.

Locations, Hours & Contacts

Technical support, service requests and requests for assistance can be made in multiple ways

  • Calling the Computer Services Help Desk at (816) 501-4357
  • Placing a service request in our online request system
  • Visiting the Help Desk on the 4th floor of Conway Hall during regular business hours