Guidelines and Procedures for Non-IT Hardware / Software Purchases Procedures

Last Revised:07/02/08

These guidelines are to assist departments / areas, outside of Information Technology, with the correct process for purchasing any hardware or software for their respective needs. Guidelines are needed to ensure standards, compatibility and support levels.

There are three yearly budget cycles for Information Technology.

• The Infrastructure Budget – This budget ensures the integrity of the college’s technical infrastructure. It is used to purchase items like enterprise wide systems, network switches and servers, computer workstations and yearly software licenses.
• The Requested Budget – This budget is to purchase hardware and software that is requested by individuals and prioritized by executive staff.
• Institutional Commitments – This budget is for on-going licenses, maintenance contracts, and scheduled upgrades for all institutional hardware and software.

All computer equipment purchased with department / grant funds must be approved by Information Technology. Before signing off on a purchase order, Information Technology will need the following:

1. A memo / email with the following information should be sent to the Support Specialist for the area.
   • Approval and justification from the responsible individual in the requesting area.
   • Documentation on why the requested item(s) were/are not part of any of the above budgets.
   • An account number that can be charged.
2. All items purchased will meet the college’s standards when possible. If special configurations are required, Information Technology must be consulted to ensure compatibility and support.
3. All purchase orders must be signed by Information Technology before being sent to vendor.
4. All hardware or software will be received through Information Technology so inventory information can be documented and proper licensing can be verified.

Disclaimer

If the above guidelines are not followed, Information Technology assumes no responsibilities for the compatibility or support for these items.