Personal Computer Support Policy at Franklin & Marshall College 2009

Franklin & Marshall has long provided a computational environment designed to encourage the integration of "computing across the curriculum." Our approach to computing is consistent with the mission of liberal education - technology is a tool that students employ as they learn. The College makes every effort to design and implement services that hold true to this statement.

For the 2009-10 academic year, Franklin & Marshall College once again recommends personal ownership of a Apple Macintosh computer and use of a standard suite of application software (Microsoft Office and Norton Anti-Virus) that is provided by the College. With Mac OS X or Windows (XP Professional and Vista) students will have access to our campus network, both wired and wireless, in order to use:
• the World Wide Web
• Blackboard course management system
• myDiplomat campus portal
• email
• network file servers and Franklin & Marshall library resources and databases

The standard suite of software can be downloaded at no cost from a secure campus website for both Mac and Windows platforms.

Students may be required to use special-purpose applications (Mathematica, SPSS, GIS, etc.) for academic assignments. The College provides public-access computers in departmental labs and clusters for this purpose. Faculty members provide support for these curriculum-specific applications.

?Students are expected to use the warranty and support services of the manufacturer that produced their systems. Information Technology Services manages a Call Center that students may consult on a variety of technology-related subjects including network connectivity, virus protection, standard applications, and general troubleshooting. The College has an agreement with an authorized repair facility adjacent to campus that provides warranty and repair services for Apple computers. Several local vendors provide repair services for Windows technology.

The process of repairing a malfunctioning computer may result in loss of data; students should regularly make backups. Most computers have CD and DVD recorders that can be used for this purpose. Additionally, the College provides network file storage via eDisk that can also be used for document backup.

While Franklin & Marshall provides an integrated and supportive computing environment, it is the responsibility of students to:
• maintain their computer
• install vendor supplied upgrades and patches
• keep their virus protection definitions up-to-date
• backup critical data

Approved by the Faculty Committee on Academic Technology, April 2009