Equipment Upgrades and Recycling
Professors, Assistant Professors, and Faculty Assistants
Computer equipment is scheduled for replacement on a four-year cycle for professors, assistant professors, and faculty assistants. Exceptions to this policy may be made when current equipment fails to adequately support the needs of the user. All exceptions will be reviewed by ITS on a case-by-case basis.
Departments
Departments should call the Help Desk on a yearly basis for an equipment assessment and recommendations for replacement.
Additional Information
When someone receives a new computer, ITS will copy the data from the old computer and store it on a network server for a period of one month to ensure that the user's data is effectively transferred (this does not pertain to someone who is leaving the Law School; the data on the hard drive is deleted immediately). A new computer (printer and monitor, when appropriate) is installed and any data on the user's old hard drive will be copied to the new hard drive. The old equipment is then removed. The serial numbers of computers, monitors, printers, and other peripherals are recorded to ensure that asset and insurance records are updated. The hard drive will also be reformatted to remove any sensitive data.
The current policy for "retired" equipment is for ITS to make an assessment of the equipment and to see if it has other uses here at Harvard Law School. If it is deemed of no use, it will be slated for recycling or donated to a non-profit agency.