Humanities Staff Computer Procurement Policy
If you are a permanent member of the UCT Faculty of Humanities (HUM), you are entitled to a computer that is not more than 6 years old that provides you with access to all the services and applications provided by the University that you need to do your job.
Computers for HUM staff are provided through Faculty funds on the following basis:
1. An academic staff member (and in most, but not all cases, a PASS staff member) who is GOB-funded is provided ONE computer to use for work. For practical reasons, this computer is supplied and maintained by ICTS and not the Humanities Central Technology Unit (CTU), even though it is purchased by CTU.
To log a support call for an existing computer with ICTS, please visit http://www.icts.uct.ac.za/logging-calls-online.
2. The computer supplied to staff across the Faculty is a standard laptop of carefully considered specifications that will suit the majority of applications that are used in most HUM departments.
The exception to this standard provision will generally only be found in the departments where the industry uses the more expensive Apple computer platform and it is therefore a requirement that the staff have these machines in order to support specialised applications. These departments are mainly the South African College of Music, the Michaelis School of Fine Art, the Centre for Film and Media Studies and the Drama department.
It should be noted that the Apple computer supplied in these special circumstances is also a standard one, and of carefully considered specifications that will be adequate for use in the majority of applications.
It should also be noted that not all staff in the departments mentioned above are eligible for an Apple computer. A staff member is only eligible in the following circumstances:
- They are able to motivate (through their HOD) that they cannot do their job with a standard laptop and they, therefore, require an Apple computer.
- The role they are filling is one which was traditionally served by an Apple computer. This will mean that a successful motivation had previously been made to supply the Apple computer for the role.
3. The computers described above are replaceable every 6 years, and staff members are welcome to apply for replacements after this period at https://www.ctu.uct.ac.za/index.php/equipment/request. It is University-wide policy that monitors (where applicable) will not be replaced unless they are faulty.
4. Staff members of any department may opt to have a computer other than the standard model provided . In this instance, the Faculty will fund the equivalent value of the standard computer that the staff member is entitled to, and invites the staff member to provide the difference from a research or departmental fund authorised by the HOD.
It should be noted that any equipment that will be co-funded by the Faculty must at least match, or exceed, the specs of the standard Faculty-supplied computer.
5. The computer equipment provided as outlined above is UCT property, and we dispose of it in various ways, including allowing staff members to bid for machines that have come to the end of the 6 year cycle.
Please find the complete disposal policy at https://www.uct.ac.za/usr/finance/policies/ict002.pdf.
6. All equipment supplied to staff members must be looked after and handled responsibly. In the case of portable devices and equipment such as laptops and tablets, it is the responsibility of the staff member and the department issued with the equipment to ensure that it, as well as the data it contains, is kept safe at all times. If there is a loss that is due to negligence, UCT may recover the cost of the loss from the staff member.
Please find the complete policy on the protection of UCT high risk portable devices and equipment at https://www.uct.ac.za/usr/finance/policies/fg005.pdf.
January 2022.