Engineering Technology Purchases and Lifecycle Management Standards

LifeCycle

Why We Are Doing This 

The UVA Engineering School strives to provide a secure, supportive, and efficient computing environment for all our faculty, staff, and students. By employing standards for computer lifecycle management, and software purchases, the School aims to ensure that everyone in the Engineering Community has access to secure, reliable and up-to-date technology that enhances productivity, supports research, and fosters a collaborative academic and research community. 

Benefits for the Engineering School and University Community:

  • Enhanced Security: Regular updates and centralized management protect sensitive data and personal information. 
  • Improved Performance: Up-to-date devices ensure consistent and efficient operation by reducing downtime and technical issues. 
  • Cost Efficiency: Lifecycle management planning ensures School resources are utilized effectively. 
  • Support and Maintenance: Prioritized support for fully supported devices means quicker resolutions to technical problems. 
  • Lower licensing liability risk: Software is appropriately procured and evaluated for IT security risk. 

Definitions

  • University Funds: Includes faculty start-up funding, grant and contracts, graduate and undergraduate tuition, gifts, discretionary funds, fellowships and endowments managed by the faculty, departments, and the School.
  • Computers: Electronic devices including laptops, tablets, iPads, desktop workstations, network-attached devices, data-monitoring computers, gaming consoles, phones, application-hosting servers, and data-storage servers. 
  • Employee: All faculty, staff, students, or other constituents employed by the Engineering School who use Engineering owned computers.
  • Engineering Hardware Refresh Program: Provides computers to eligible full-time faculty and staff members on a four-year replacement cycle with a corresponding warranty. Both Windows and Apple computers are selected to meet standard academic, administrative, and faculty primary computing needs.
  • Engineering IT (ENIT) Functions as the School-level technology backbone for the UVA Engineering community, bridging School IT needs with University-wide IT services and policies. ENIT includes all IT divisions across the School. Their role includes::
    • Hardware Support: Handling acquisition, installation, and support across everything from desktop platforms and mobile devices to high-performance research computing and storage servers.
    • Infrastructure & Security: Managing School-wide computing hardware, software, and network infrastructure, along with security monitoring, abuse response, and IT policy.
    • Classroom & AV Support: Providing audio-video technology and classroom support.
    • Central IT Resource: Serving as a hub for IT staff distributed throughout Engineering departments and labs and acting as a liaison with UVA's central Information Technology Services division. 
  • SOP: Standard Operating Procedure
  • Life cycle management: involves planning, deploying, maintaining, and retiring computer systems, ensuring optimal performance, cost-effectiveness, and security throughout their lifespan.

Standards  

Ownership and Management: 

Computers purchased with University funds, regardless of funding source, are the property of the University. The intended use of all the University’s IT resources is typically for supporting the mission of the University. All unauthorized use is prohibited. The University prohibits the use of University-issued devices solely as personal devices. Incidental personal use is permitted. For clarification, review UVA policy IRM-002: Acceptable Use of the University’s Information Technology Resources. 

Purchasing Methods: 

  • Engineering IT Departments (APMA, CEE, CHE, DO, ECE, ENS, MAE, SIE) – Contact Engineering IT to procure devices and ensure equipment meets security, compatibility, and operational requirements. 
  • Cavalier Computers (All Departments) – Purchases made with appropriate UVA Finance FDM Worktags. 
  • UVA Marketplace (All Departments) – UVA’s eProcurement platform for ordering from contracted vendors. 
  • The use of T&E cards for the purchase of computers and software services is strongly discouraged. Before deploying this method of payment, approval from Engineering IT must be obtained in advance. Email [email protected] to request approval. 

*Regardless of purchasing method chosen, and prior to deployment, all School of Engineering IT devices will be managed according to the current endpoint management process and adhere to UVA Security Guidance. 

Departments, Units, Faculty, Staff, and Students are Responsible for:

  • adhering to University and Engineering policies, standards, and guidelines.
  • the care and physical security of University computers assigned to or used by them.
  • maintaining device updates and regularly reboot to ensure security compliance.
  • following Engineering School and UVA Procurement procedures when purchasing, transferring, disposing of or otherwise removing University computers from University's ownership.
  • the return of all University-owned computers to the School upon separation with the University.

Engineering IT is Responsible for:

  • purchase consultation to ensure that the client’s needs are met. 
  • timely ordering of devices. 
  • ensuring that Engineering computers adhere to University security standards and are provisioned according to the requirements outlined in Appendix A (noted below)
  • ensuring that every computer has an Engineering IT identified inventory agent tool installed or is recorded in the Engineering data repository and is reviewed according to School SOPs. 
  • responding to ITS’s annual security attestation distributed by the Engineering IT Team with timely and accurate data. 

Purchasing and Configuration: 

Departments, Units, Faculty, Staff, and Students are responsible for:

  • Contacting Engineering IT to discuss their needs and begin the procurement process. 
  • seeking pre-approval to purchase computers and software services using a T&E card. 
  • ensure that the School is not paying sales tax on devices
  • only using approved and ITS security-reviewed software. 

Engineering IT is Responsible for:

  • working with faculty, staff, and students to review and determine their computer needs and make recommendations on all new computer and software purchases. 
  • adding the newly purchased computers to the Engineering IT identified inventory agent and tagging them as University property. 
  • installing configuration and security management software on all Engineering computers. Configuration and security of all Engineering School network connected devices must follow the University Data Protection Standards. 
  • primary support of Engineering computers. 

Exceptions: 

Purchasing Exception: 

The Engineering School prohibits the purchase of IT devices and software using personal credit cards or personal accounts for the purpose of seeking reimbursement from the University of Virginia School of Engineering. To request an exception, email [email protected]. Devices must be provisioned by ENIT according to Engineering standards before any reimbursement is approved. Sales tax will not be reimbursed. 

Security Exception: 

Department, units, faculty, staff and students who wish to request exceptions from adhering to University IT policies related to security patching, support, or network connection must submit an exceptions request using this form found on the  Request an Exception to a Security Policy, Standard, or Procedure website.

Policies and Standards:

Engineering Policies and Standards

Hardware and Software Contract Procurement

Engineering SOP-Devices-Software Contracts 

Security Requirements

Engineering SOP-ITSecurity

Primary Device Refresh Program

Engineering Hardware Refresh Program

Related University Policies and Standards 

APPENDIX A: REQUIRED SOFTWARE, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND EXPECTATIONS 

Regardless of funding source, the following software and configurations are required on all School of Engineering technology assets unless a formal exception has been approved through the established exception process:  

This agent facilitates regular vulnerability scanning to identify potential security weaknesses. It is expected to be actively running and reporting data. (UVA Requirement) 

Installed on all applicable research system operating systems, this software provides real-time threat protection and detection. It is expected to be actively running and properly configured. (UVA Requirement) 

UVA devices must be connected to and managed by an approved service that can rapidly manage and update configurations on fleets of devices, log changes, and manage licensed software installs.  (Engineering Requirement) 

An approved privileged access management solution or process that eliminates standing administrator access, protects administrative account usage, and logs software installations for audit purposes. (Engineering Requirement) 

KeyServer Agent or inventory data uploaded to IT data repository no less frequent than monthly. (Engineering Requirement)