Technology Fee Guidelines

UWG Proposal Guidelines

1. Technology fees should be used primarily to benefit student learning. Innovation and high student impact are encouraged.
2. Technology fees may be used to ensure there are sufficient campus licenses for primary productivity software.
3. Technology fees may be used to ensure the provision of adequate network bandwidth, access to the internet, and specialized online resources vital to their disciplines.
4. Technology fees may be used to provide a launching point for investment in new technologies to build proof-of-concept tools and environments to enhance the student learning experience.
5. Technology fee revenues may be used for research equipment that primarily benefits student learning.
6. In almost no cases should tech fee revenues be used for administrative software or administrative software implementation.
7. Technology fee funding may be used to supplement, but not replace, existing normal technology.
8. Funding for one year does not guarantee funding in any subsequent years.

Reallocation of Funds within an Award

As a default, award funds may not be used for the purchase of anything other than what was included in the awarded proposal on the itemized list.

Any request to reallocate funds for the purchase of "non-like items" within an award must be approved ahead of purchase.

In order to obtain approval for a reallocation request, a request should be sent to TechFeesInfo-list@westga.edu to the attention of the Tech Fee Committee Chair describing the nature of the reallocation proposed. The request will be reviewed by the Committee, the CIO, or the Provost depending on the scope of the reallocation request.

Funds not Expended or Encumbered

Funds not expended or encumbered by the spending deadline will be swept back to the UWG Tech Fee account.

Recurring Project Roll-Off Schedule

Recurring projects that have been funded by Technology Fees for 3 years and are appropriate for College/Unit adoption must begin a roll-off process to ensure funds remain available in future years for innovation and development. After 3 years, any approved project resubmitted will be awarded based on the following schedule:

USG Appropriate Use

USG Business Process Manual. There are two basic principles governing use of student technology fees: Student technology fees should be used to support, not supplant, normal levels of technology spending. Institutions should be able to provide evidence that overall institution technology expenditures clearly reflect that expenditures based upon fee revenues are above and beyond normal levels. The focus of student technology fees should be on academic or instructional technology. Distinctions should be drawn between expenditures for administrative applications or scientific and laboratory equipment, and instructional technology. Technology fee revenues should be used for the primary benefit of students by:

• Directing expenses to assist students in meeting educational objectives of their academic programs.
• Ensuring that there are sufficient campus software licenses, so that students have easy access to "technological" tools needed in their chosen disciplines.
• Ensuring that "computer" labs used by students are adequately equipped and have sufficient network bandwidth and appropriate internet access.
• Providing training for students in the use of computing and networking resources, when needed. Generally, faculty and staff training should be paid for from general operating funds, but faculty and staff may avail themselves of student training sessions if space permits.
• Leveraging with other funds to yield greater resources for students; (Technology fee revenues may be combined with another fund source(s) to make purchases that will enhance technological resources provided to students).
• Providing new staffing only when it will clearly add documented value for students. Under no circumstances can technology fees be used to fund existing positions that would otherwise be cut from an operational budget, nor should fees be used to fund general computing and networking positions that have a significant administrative or research support component.