TAMU Faculty Workstation Program Memo

MEMORANDUM

TO:

Texas A&M University Faculty

FROM:

Pierce E. Cantrell
Vice President & Associate Provost for Information Technology

SUBJECT:

Faculty Workstation Program for FY2010

The Faculty Workstation Program represents the commitment of the administration of Texas A&M University to replace computer workstations for faculty members at least every four years. The program is made possible by the commitment of funds from Interim President R. Bowen Loftin's office, the Vice President and Associate Provost for Information Technology Capital Computer Equipment Fund, and the Dean, department, or individual faculty member's grant funds. The total annual funding for the program is $933,000.

The program guidelines for FY2010 are substantially the same as last year. Accompanying this memo are specific guidelines for your college as well as overall program guidelines. If you have questions regarding the overall program guidelines, please email (p-cantrell@tamu.edu) or telephone (845-2072).

In its 15th year, we are continuing to administer the program primarily at the college level, with the central administration's contributions being transferred to your college based on a faculty-count formula.

Texas A&M University's Department of Procurement Services is again offering us the convenience of on-line workstation purchasing, which provides such services as a web-based on-line catalog, on-line customer configuration, and on-line ordering. There is also a standard desktop computer configuration that provides an even greater savings. For more information, see http://purchasing.tamu.edu/ssps/suppmall/index.asp.

The fundamental characteristics of the program are as follows:

1. The top priority is for faculty without a workstation followed by those with a four-year old workstation. Some colleges have elected to replace a percentage of their machines on a three-year cycle because of the drop in computer prices. Any college electing this option, however, remains obligated to place four-year replacements at a higher priority than three-year replacements and to insure that machines are replaced on at least a four-year cycle. Machines purchased in FY2006 are up for replacement this year. Three-year replacement cycle machines were purchased in FY2007.
2. The program applies to all tenured, tenure-track, Senior/Distinguished Lecturers, Clinical Professors, full-time lecturers, and Librarians. It also provides shared computers for part-time Lecturers as calculated on a full-time equivalent basis.
3. The University match is $3.00 for each $1.00 provided by the college, up to $1,500 from the University for a $500 contribution from the college, department, or individual faculty member's grant funds. Any amount over $2,000 total is the responsibility of the college, department, or individual faculty member's grant funds.