The following principles shall guide the allocation of information technology resources on the campus of Mississippi University for Women. Each of these principles shall be considered when allocating resources related to information technology on the campus.

Highest priority in the allocation of scarce resources shall be given to technologies required for campus infrastructure.  Providing a reliable and robust infrastructure is essential to our university’s ability to meet its goals.   Plans will be formulated to ensure that emerging technologies will not overwhelm our information throughput capabilities.

Second priority in the allocation of scarce resources shall be given to student access to computing resources.  Students must be given access to the level of technology that will make them technologically competent to enter the workforce upon graduation from MUW. To achieve this goal the hardware and software made available in student laboratories throughout the University must be technologically equivalent or superior to that being used in the typical workplace. Every effort will be made to maintain this level of quality and technological sophistication in student access areas. Plans have been formulated to ensure that resources exist to assure regular replacement of the equipment that students access. This will be done to maintain technological sophistication as well as equipment reliability.

Third priority in the allocation of scarce resources shall be given to faculty members engaged in scholarly research that attracts external grant funding.  Plans will be formulated to ensure that resources exist to replace hardware and software as required to ensure that these faculty members are not at risk of losing their ability to access information resources due to lack of technological capacity.

Fourth priority in the allocation of scarce resources shall be given to faculty and staff access to computing resources. In order to serve the student community appropriately faculty and staff must have access to information resources. Plans have been formulated to ensure that resources exist to replace hardware and software as required to ensure that faculty and staff are not at risk of losing their ability to access information resources due to lack of technological capacity.

Whenever resources (hardware or software) are replaced, utilizing principles 1 through 4 above, those resources will be redistributed (cascaded) within the University to those activities where those resources can still be utilized in an effective manner. Whenever resources become so obsolete that they cannot be utilized effectively within the University, every attempt will be made to find an appropriate use for them outside the University. For example, gifts of these items to public schools may be appropriate.

The Planning Committee will review this policy annually.
 

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