iPad and Similar Devices Policy

Policy Number
VII:01:27

Purpose

The purpose is to establish guidelines and procedures to facilitate procurement and Information Technology (IT) support of Apple iPads and similar devices. iPads and similar devices are tablet computers designed, developed, and marketed as a platform for audio and video content delivery, such as books, magazines, movies, music, apps, and websites.

I. Requesting an iPad for VSCC Employees

  1. An iPad or similar device may be requested by employees whose official duties are such that the use of the device significantly enhances the performance of the academic (including instruction) and business activities of that faculty or staff member.
  2. Prior to requesting an iPad or similar device, an individual or the approving supervisor must attend a VSCC-provided information session that will address the advantages and limitations of the device.
  3. Funds must be provided by the requesting department and transferred to IT for purchase.
  4. All requests must be accompanied by clear justification of academic/business purpose.
    1. Requests should include justification for any requested accessories.
    2. A standard case will be purchased with the iPad. Additional case purchases are the responsibility of the individual and VSCC funds should not be used.
  5. Generally the College will not pay for any cellular voice/data plans associated with iPads or similar devices. Generally, the College will purchase only Wi-Fi enabled devices.
  6. iPads will not be permanently assigned to non-exempt or part-time employees.

II. Requesting iPads for Classroom Use

  1. iPads or similar devices may be requested by faculty for classroom use in conjunction with an approved departmental instruction plan.
  2. Funds may be sought from the VSCC TAF budget. Funding will be subject to standard TAF requirements as outlined in TBR Guideline B-060 and availability of funds.
  3. All requests must be accompanied by clear justification of academic purpose. Requests should include:
    1. Justification for any requested accessories
    2. Planned use of the device
    3. How the impact of the iPad on student learning will be measured
    4. What apps will need to be purchased (if known)
  4. A standard cover will be purchased with the iPad.

III. Procurement

  1. Devices purchased by the College will be considered a College asset and tagged and inventoried like desktop and laptop computers.
  2. College-purchased iPads will be tagged with a VSCC inventory sticker and engraved with “Property of Volunteer State Community College”. This engraving is provided by Apple at the time of purchase.
  3. Application (app) purchases may be made by the individual or via the TBR contract that allows the College to participate in Apple’s Volume Voucher Purchase Program (VVPP).
  4. The IT director or his/her designee will purchase Apple Voucher cards and redeem them on the Apple website. Apps will be purchased and the resulting link and code will be emailed to the person that the app was purchased for. IT will track who received the purchased apps.
  5. The iPad user will be responsible for any charges related to the acquisition of personally purchased applications. The College will not reimburse the cost of such apps. Also, taxes may be charged on the purchase. There is no educational discount for apps purchased by an individual. Payment problems and disputes about individual apps purchased by the user are the responsibility of the user.
  6. Please note that Apple requires the owner of devices and installer of apps to agree to sync no more copies than the number of voucher codes purchased by the VVPP; one cannot make a single purchase and sync to multiple devices unless an authorized license has been procured for each device. VVPP pricing generally reflects an educational discount and no sales tax will be charged when apps are bought via the VVPP. Not all apps are available for purchase by the VVPP. Not all apps have a discounted price. VVPP may require the purchase of 20 or more copies in order to get a discounted price.
  7. Purchased iPads or similar devices should be delivered to IT first for processing.

IV. Support

  1. iPads or similar devices are not substitutes for more versatile laptop computers, and should not be purchased as such.
  2. Support for the use of the devices and their apps is provided by Distance Learning and IT.
  3. IT will not be able to perform repairs on iPads. They have no serviceable parts. Therefore, if something goes wrong with the device, IT technicians can only attempt two possible fixes: a hard rebooting of the device or a complete restore of the operating system (OS). Problems not resolved by these fixes will require the iPad to be serviced by Apple. This will cause a delay in the availability of the iPad for the user.
  4. IT staff will support iPad accessories on a best effort basis.
  5. “Jail breaking” (using software unauthorized by Apple) of the iPad is not supported by the College. IT technicians will not support any device that has been modified in this manner. This practice will void the warranty and AppleCare contract for the device.
  6. iPad files are stored in a format that is not recoverable by IT technicians. If an iPad has a hardware failure, the only possibility of recovering any document is if a backup file stored by iTunes during the last iPad/computer synchronization is available. If one has not recently synchronized the iPad with their computer, any recent changes will be lost.
  7. Compatibility between programs cannot be guaranteed. For example, there is no guarantee that a document created in Microsoft (MS) Excel, on a PC or Mac computer, will be editable or completely viewable in the equivalent iPad Numbers application. The same applies to MS Word and Pages or Keynote/MS PowerPoint software.
  8. Due to security issues and desire to maintain a stable and secure infrastructure, IT reserves the right to deploy security polices and certain requirements to iPads and similar devices, including installing tracking software to prevent theft.
  9. Printing is currently not supported with the iPad.
  10. Certain websites may not display in whole or in part if they use software required to run in the background. For example, certain Java sites, Oracle, Flash, ActiveX control, etc… will not function on the iPad.
  11. Video output with the use of an external adapter connected to a projector has limited support on the iPad. (The adapter is an additional purchase) Not all software can be viewed via the output option. An app must specifically be programmed to take advantage of the video option. The default iPad OS cannot be displayed via this option. A supporting application must be launched first in order to view the iPad OS. A program such as Keynote is designed to allow video output. Some programs, such as Safari, do not allow video output. Movies purchased via iTunes are designed as protected content and therefore cannot be viewed via the video output option. Output resolution is limited to 1024 x 768.

  12. The synchronization computer should be a college-provided desktop or laptop computer. This assures College data remains on College equipment.

    Synchronization Computer Requirements:

    Mac Computer Requirements

    • Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
    • Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
    • iTunes 9.1 or later
    • iTunes account
    • Internet access

    Windows Computer Requirements

    • PC with USB 2.0 port
    • Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Pro with Service Pack 3 or later
    • iTunes 9.1 or later
    • iTunes account
    • Internet access

V. Justification

The following criteria will be considered by the approver when reviewing the requested device(s):

  1. Do the employee’s responsibilities include reading, reviewing, or commenting on large volumes of documents, and is he/she willing to perform these duties in a paperless format?
  2. Will the use of the device significantly enhance the productivity of the employee?
  3. Will the academic and business activities of the employee be enhanced with the device?
  4. Is this purchase included in a departmental or instructional plan?

 

VI. Assignment of Device

Once approval is granted, the individual faculty or staff member is required to attend training before the device is assigned or given to the employee. The training will be conducted by Distance Learning and cover using the device in the technology environment on-campus and off-campus.

 

TBR Source: TBR Board Meeting June 28, 2002; March 30, 2007

VSCC Source: President’s Cabinet, June 25, 2012