Policies and Standards

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Faculty and staff may submit suggestions for new software for installation in computer labs and classrooms. Please note the following deadlines are applicable for the labs/rooms that are supported by Academic Technology.

The deadline to request new software is the last student withdrawal date of the previous semester. Changes for summer session must be made by the last withdrawal date in the preceding spring semester, and so on. Requests made as early as possible are appreciated. After the deadline, changes may be accommodated on a case-by-case basis if possible; however, this may not always be possible due to staffing limitations.

In order to ensure all software is fully tested on our standard lab environment, software must be requested by the deadlines stated above. Software or software upgrade requests received after the academic term will be at the discretion of Technology Services Department based on staff availability. Commercial software beyond end-of-life and/or any software without active support will not be considered. Technology Services will not install trial, demo, or similar limited-use software.

All software is assumed to be installed for a period of one year, unless otherwise indicated. All previously requested software will need to be reviewed annually to determine continued support. If you wish to retain currently installed software, you must submit a new form at least once a year. Any software upgrades require a new form to be submitted.

Terms and conditions must be approved by the Office of General Council or Procurement before purchase and installation. This includes all open source and freeware software. All software licenses and media are managed by the Technology Services Department to assure compliance with licensing. Software that is not managed by the Technology Services Department will be uninstalled from university computers.

Our staff will verify that a software installation starts properly after installation and performs basic file, edit and print operations properly. Our staff does not have the expertise to verify the proper functionality of other software features.

By requesting installation of this software, you agree to provide professional expertise in testing the software within our time frame prior to deployment to campus computers, in order to insure proper installation, functionality and customization of the software. The contact person below or another qualified individual must be available during the testing and/or deployment period.

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Technology Services has laptops for checkout to current  students with a valid Florida Poly ID on a first come first served basis. Laptops are FREE to check out and can be checked out during the Help Desk’s normal business hour. Laptops MUST Be Returned Daily one Hour prior to the Help Desk closing.

Requests for equipment used for student groups must come from Student Development services or staff members. Please provide at least two weeks' advance notice if you are requesting equipment to be delivered and set up.

Late return of equipment may result in your checkout privileges being blocked.

Items available for checkout: 

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Technology Services provides one computing device for each full-time employee. Part time, adjunct faculty, and student workers are not eligible for mobile devices. A shared used PC with a single monitor will be provided for these employees.  Computer purchases for new employees and employees who are refreshing out dated equipment can be purchased from a Product Catalog maintained by Technology Services. The Product Catalog contains an inventory of devices from manufactures chosen for reliability and cost effectiveness.  

All computers distributed by Technology Services are procured through a lease. When choosing your device, you should anticipate that this will be the device you will use for the next three years. In some instances, the computer issued maybe slightly used but in new to very good condition.  

It is the user’s responsibility to be familiar with the operating system of the computer they chose. Please do not chose a computer which you have no experience with. The Help Desk is not responsible for training of basic computer use. 

Workstation configurations will be comprised of two monitors, a wired keyboard and mouse, and a docking station if applicable. Additional peripherals such as wireless mice, wireless keyboards, stylus, carry bags or covers, etc. if desired are the responsibility of the employee’s department. Peripherals purchased by departments shall receive limited support from the Help Desk.  

Laptops must be picked up by the employee at the Help Desk (located in the IST commons) to complete initial login\setup and issue of off campus permit.  

New employee computer purchases should be placed four weeks in advance of the employee’s start date to ensure equipment is available for first date of work. If the new employee’s choice of computer is not available for first day, the employee will be provided a loaner laptop or PC until the device arrives. 

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Employees purchasing models outside of Technology Services catalog should be aware of limited support. These devices shall be treated as BYOD (bring your own device). The employee will be responsible for warranty claims, maintenance and updating of the operating system and software, virus protection, malware removal, and software installation.

These devices cannot be joined to the Florida Poly domain and will be ineligible for imaging and university owned software. They will not be able to connect to the Florida Poly Secure network. Some software such as Office 365 and Adobe are available to these devices. The Help Desk can provide instructions on how you can obtain them. You maybe required to purchase other software either through department or grant funds. Technology purchases must be submitted through Workday and approved by Technology Services. Before purchasing non-catalog computers, you are encouraged to discuss purchases with Help Desk to ensure you fully understand responsibilities.  

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Working from home offers new opportunities and challenges. 

 

• Take your laptop with you: The University provides all full-time faculty and staff with a laptop—the best way to be productive wherever you are. Cultivate the habit of taking it home with you. (No University laptop? Check below for links that work in any web browser.)
• Keep University data in University systems to ensure our information is secure and compliant with regulations. It’s simplest to use your University laptop. If that’s unavailable, essential applications are available in any web browser (see links below). Do not download University data—documents, attachments, etc.—to a personal device.
• Practice makes perfect: It takes time to become proficient with any tools—Webox and Office 365 are no exception. Give yourself—and your coworkers—space to learn. Don’t be discouraged by a few mistakes the first time you try a new way of working.

Techniques

• Get online, fast: For best results when working from home your internet connection should be fast and reliable. Cellular connections may work in a pinch. Avoid shared and public connections.
• Make dedicated workspace: Create a space that’s organized for productivity—somewhere free of distractions and comfortable for all-day work. You may want to purchase your own keyboard, mouse, and monitor(s) to make your work easier.
• Forward your phone: Look for the Forward all button on your desk phone or visit our knowledge base for a guide.
• Let yourself be heard: A quality headset with microphone helps you hear and be heard when chatting with your colleagues—and helps block out distractions. The earbuds that came with your smartphone may be a starting point.
• Add video to create connection: I know what you’re thinking—I don’t like the way I look on camera either. But video brings people together in ways text or voice chat cannot. A quick Webex conference can save hours of email back-and-forth.
• Leverage Teams: Microsoft Teams is a great way to chat, talk, video-conference, and collaborate on documents with your colleagues. Microsoft’s Teams Quick Start is available online; more training resources are linked below.

These collaboration and productivity tools are already installed on your University-provided laptop—and available online if you’re working from a personal computer. If you’re working on a smartphone or a tablet check your device’s app store.

• Email: Installed Outlook app or email.floridapoly.edu.
• Phone: Call forwarding your office phone (see help link above) or the Jabber app on your laptop.
• Office 365: Installed Office apps or office.floridapoly.edu.
• Webex: Installed Webex app or floridapoly.webex.com.
• Microsoft Teams: Installed Teams app or teams.microsoft.com.
• Microsoft OneDrive: Installed OneDrive app or onedrive.microsoft.com.
• VPN: Installed GlobalProtect app or vpn.floridapoly.edu. (You may not need this. Most faculty and staff have migrated to Office 365 OneDrive and Teams.)

You may use other tools in your work—Canvas, Panopto, Salesforce, and many more—and almost all of those are also available online. If a tool you rely on isn’t, talk with your department chair or director—or contact the Help Desk or 863-874-8888.

Trainings

• Essentials Guide
• Best Practices for Working Remotely

For Microsoft Teams

• Teams Quick Start
• Teams Training Center

For Microsoft Office 365

• Office 365 Training Center
• Work remotely with Office 365

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Upon termination of employment you have agreed to return all university owned computing devices. Equipment is expected to be returned in good working order no later than the last day of your full time employment. Employees who have extended their employment as OPS or temporary are not eligible for mobile devices.

You maybe held responsible and required to reimburse the university for equipment which is returned damaged. Equipment which is not returned by your last day of full time employment will be reported to the University Police Department as lost or stolen.

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