Personal Computing Support Policy
Franklin & Marshall has long provided a computational environment designed to encourage the integration of "computing across the curriculum." Our approach to computing is consistent with the mission of liberal education - technology is a tool that students employ as they learn. The College makes every effort to design and implement services that hold true to this statement.
For the 2012-13 academic year, Franklin & Marshall College recommends personal ownership of a Apple Macintosh computer and use of a standard suite of application software (Microsoft Office and Norton Anti-Virus) that is provided by the College. With Mac OS X or Windows (XP, Vista, and Windows 7) students will have access to our campus network, both wired and wireless, in order to use a vast array of network services.
The standard suite of software can be downloaded at no cost from a secure campus website for both Mac and Windows platforms.
Students may be required to use special-purpose applications (Mathematica, SPSS, GIS, etc.) for academic assignments. The College provides public-access computers in departmental labs and clusters for this purpose. Faculty members provide support for these curriculum-specific applications.
Students are expected to use the warranty and support services of the manufacturer that produced their systems. Information Technology Services manages a Call Center that students may consult on a variety of technology-related subjects including network connectivity, virus protection, standard applications, and general troubleshooting. Several local vendors provide repair services for Macintosh and Windows technology.
The process of repairing a malfunctioning computer may result in loss of data; students should regularly make backups. The College provides network file storage via eDisk that can also be used for document backup. An external drive is a perfect solution for making backups. We also recommend that all members of the F&M community password-protect their personal computers.
While Franklin & Marshall provides an integrated and supportive computing environment, it is the responsibility of students to:
- maintain their computer
- install vendor supplied upgrades and patches
- keep their virus protection definitions up-to-date
- backup critical data
Approved by the Faculty Committee on Academic Technology, April 2012
Last update: 9 May 2013
