Recent updates from the Psychology Computer Support staff.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Just a couple things from the Property Management Guidelines that I wanted everyone to be aware of:

http://www.uh.edu/finance/Departments/Property%20Management/Property%20Management%20Guidelines_08.pdf

Tagging of Equipment

1. All capital and controlled equipment belonging to the University of Houston must be assigned a tag number and the corresponding tag must be affixed to the equipment in a visible location, unless it is not possible to affix the tag to the equipment in which case Property Management should be consulted to determine the best solution.

I know the property tags are ugly but we have to use them, and I have to place them in a conspicuous location. Please do not remove the tags once they have been placed on your equipment. If the tag comes off on its own, let me know so we can get a replacement.

Off Campus Property

1. All items that will be located off campus should be assigned to the individual requesting assignment on the Off Campus Form.
2. Departments should ensure that an employee entrusted with off campus property exercises reasonable care for its safekeeping. This means that steps have been taken to maintain the upkeep of the asset in an acceptable manner, to ensure the security of the asset, to ensure that the asset can be located at any time requested, and to ensure that the person responsible for the asset is known.
3. The individual requesting to take the equipment off campus should complete the Off Campus Form initially. Each subsequent fiscal year the property remains off campus, the employee must recertify that the equipment is located off campus by completing another Off Campus Form by the beginning of the fiscal year it will be off campus.

This applies to all tagged equipment - laptops, projectors, digital cameras, desktop computers you keep at home, etc. If it has a tag and there is any chance it will leave your office, then we need to have an off-campus form on file. These have to be re-submitted every fiscal year. So even if you did fill out the form when back when you got the equipment, we will still need a new form every Sept. 1 at the latest. Caroline keeps these forms in her office. Note also the part about "steps have been taken to maintain the upkeep of the asset in an acceptable manner." If you have a laptop that I support and you keep it off campus, I may ask for it periodically to perform maintenance and updates.

Disposal of Property

Prior to the transfer or disposal of data processing equipment, the property custodian is responsible for assessing whether to remove data from the equipment. If it is possible that restricted personal information, confidential information, mission critical information, intellectual property, or licensed software is contained on the equipment, the equipment storage device should be sanitized or the storage device should be destroyed. The property custodian should keep and submit to Property Management a record (electronic or hard copy) documenting the removal andcompletion of the process with the following information:

1. Date
2. Description of the item and serial number
3. UH tag number
4. The processes and sanitation tools used to remove the data or method of destruction
5. The name and address of the department/state agency the equipment was transferred to.

We have to document the transfer and/or disposal of any tagged equipment. So if you have any old equipment that breaks or you don't want anymore, we can't just throw it away or give it to charity. The University has to account for its capital equipment.

Please keep this in mind when you're dealing with tagged equipment in your offices, labs, or at home.

INTERNAL LINK NEEDEDContact Psychology Computer Support if you have any questions or require clarification.

Friday, October 31, 2008

There is a recall notice for certain batteries manufactured by Sony for Dell laptops. The relevant models affected for our department are the Latitude D-Series, of which we have several. I believe the ones we have are Latitude D410, D510, D520, D530, D600, D610, D620, D800, and D810. If you have one, please check your battery serial number using the insructions here:

http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com/ or if you'd like me to check the battery for you, contact Psychology Computer Support.

If your battery is affected, contact Psychology Computer Support and I'll arrange the exchange.

Friday, October 24, 2008

The department has recently acquired a package of lint-free, non-marring cleaning cloths. If you have an LCD monitor in your office that has fingerprints or other crud on it and you'd like it cleaned, please contact Psychology Computer Support.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Instructions for connecting to the wireless network are here:

http://www.uh.edu/infotech/php/template.php?network_id=36

If you are getting to the login page, but cannot log in, please call the main help desk at x31411. If you are having problems connecting with your personal laptop, please call the main help desk at x31411.

If you're using a University laptop and can't get to the login screen, then please use the "Report a Problem" form.

This also means that there is absolutely no need to have your own wireless router in your office in Heyne. It was already against Telecomm's policies to have one installed, but we weren't really proactive in enforcing that. Hereafter I'll be reporting the wireless routers I find to Telecomm. If you have one installed, please take it home.