Requesting Resources

How to place requests for room renovations and equipment purchases

The College has five routine procedures for providing equipment and approving renovations for facilities.

Equipment Requests--items costing more than $300

Technology Requests--software, hardware, and infrastructure projects costing over $200

Video Equipment--items costing over $300

Traditional Audio-Visual Equipment--items costing over $300

Major Projects Requests--facilities improvements costing between $1,000 and $100,000, such as room renovations, recarpeting projects, reconfiguration of spaces

1. Equipment Requests

Purchases of equipment are made through the annual budgeting process for each department. The equipment budgets of the college pay for items that cost more than $300; items costing less than that amount should be included in the department's general operating budget. Typical purchases made by the college, rather than departments, include desks for classrooms, scientific equipment, office furniture, musical instruments, athletic equipment, appliances, and so forth.

To request a specific piece of equipment, ask your department chair or program director to list that item on the "General Equipment" sheet included in the budget packets distributed to departments and programs each fall. That sheet asks the chair/director to assign each item to a priority category (a ranking of "1" is highest category, e.g.); please include a price quote on the equipment requested, as well, that takes into account any trade-ins or leasing options.

Academic Dean Mark Krejci examines each request and, in consultation with the Division Chair, creates a list of items approved by Academic Affairs. That list is then considered in relation to needs of other college divisions, in conversations involving the academic dean, the college treasurer,  and the Vice President for Business Affairs. This consideration results in a final proposal to the President's Council, which approves the overall equipment budget. Academic Affairs typically receives two-thirds of this budget.

2. Technology Requests

Each year the college spends at least $350,000 on technology items, based on decisions about purchases made by the Technology Planning Committee. Funds from the technology budget support four kinds of expenditures:

new technology purchases--specific disciplinary software programs, or discipline-specific hardware

small peripherals such as printers and scanners, costing between $200 and $500

upgrades of computers in offices, classrooms, and labs, on a college-wide rotation schedule, so that each year we're replacing between one-third and one-fourth of all computers

unscheduled repairs (or replacements) of existing computers

To request specific software or hardware purchases, ask your department chair or program director to list that item on the "Computer" sheet included in the budget packets distributed to departments and programs each fall. The guidelines for this sheet ask for descriptions and rationale for the proposed purchases. Dr. Keith Landa, Director of Academic Computing and Instructional Technology, is available for and interested in helping departments and programs develop technology requests.

The technology budget is overseen by the Vice President for Business Affairs. who co-chairs the Technology Planning Committee along with a representative from the Academic Affairs Office. That committee considers each technology request, constructing a proposal which is then forwarded to the President's Council for their approval.

3. Video Equipment

Video equipment costing more than $300 is purchased through the Television Center; requests to purchase specific items must be made using the "Video" form in the routine budget package distributed in the fall to department chairs and program directors. Requests should include rationales for making the purchase, noting how many students would be served by the new equipment, what alternatives exist if the purchase is not made, options for making a shared request with another department, and how long the specific equipment will be useful.

However, before you make a video equipment request through the budget process, please consult with Mike Knodle (x4202; knodle@cord.edu) at the Television Center. He can help you formulate your rationale, providing information about alternatives available on campus and options to consider when purchasing. In turn this will allow the TV Center to shape their budget request to meet as many expected requests as possible: the TV Center has to submit a budget at the same time as all departments do, which means they must estimate expected video requests in advance; if they have talked with you about your request, that will help them anticipate it in their own budgeting process.

4. Instructional Technology Services Equipment

Instructional Technology Services are responsible for the purchase and maintenance of all traditional audio-visual (non-video) equipment on campus; they purchase all items that cost more than $300. Requests to purchase specific items must be made using the "Instructional Technology" form in the budget package distributed in the fall to department chairs and program directors. Requests should include rationales for making the purchase, noting how many students would be served by the new equipment, what alternatives exist if the purchase is not made, options for making a shared request with another department, and how long the specific equipment will be useful.

However, before you make an equipment request through the budget process, please consult with Ron Balko (x3464, balko@gloria.cord.edu) in the Instructional Technology Center. He can help you formulate your rationale, providing information about alternatives available on campus and options to consider when purchasing. In turn this will allow the Instructional Technology Services to shape their budget request to meet as many expected requests as possible: ITS has to submit a budget at the same time as all departments do, which means they must estimate expected requests in advance; if they have talked with you about your request, that will help them anticipate it in their own budgeting process.

5. Major Projects Requests:

For projects that would cost between $1,000 and $100,000, such as replacing carpets, reconfiguring rooms, or renovating sections of buildings, a request needs to be sent to the Major Projects Committee for consideration.

For departments and faculty, your route to that Committee is via your division chair and the academic dean. If you send your division chair a memo outlining what your request is, and your rationale for the request, they will include it in the list of projects for consideration. Having an idea of how much your request will cost will be very helpful to the committee; you can contact the Physical Plant to get estimates of costs for projects (x3362). Including evidence that you have discussed your request with colleagues in your department will also be helpful; if you are proposing more than one project, indicating relative priorities of each one will also be useful.

Our planning cycle begins in October; submitting a request to your division chair by October 1 will ensure consideration of projects to be funded during the following fiscal year (beginning May 1 the following summer). After investigating each request, Major Projects submits its recommendations to the President's Council; this is usually completed by the end of March each spring. The following criteria are used in our selection process:

Criteria for selection of Major Projects
The Major Project Committee will examine each request, assigning a priority status, giving the highest priority to projects that exhibit the following conditions (listed in order of priority):

1. conditions which endanger personal safety
2. conditions which could become potential health, safety or security problems
3. conditions which represent unacceptable operating deficiencies, lack of code compliance, or standards which are contrary to our established requirements
4. conditions which, if allowed to go uncorrected, will result in significant deterioration or damage to existing facilities
5. conditions that represent necessary maintenance, repair, and replacement of existing facilities or equipment
6. conditions where the proposed improvement is necessary to meet the needs of a previously approved program change or expansion
7. conditions where the proposed improvement will substantially reduce operating costs; e.g., energy conservation measures
8. conditions in which the proposed improvement will yield improved operating efficiencies of personnel
9. conditions in which the proposed improvement will increase space utilization, thus reducing or eliminating the need for additional space or facilities
10. conditions which represent serious aesthetic deficiencies
11. conditions where the proposed improvement will create a more appealing appearance of the space