STC Software Partnership Agreement

The UITS Student Technology Centers (STCs) provide Indiana University students with access to a broad suite of personal productivity applications in support of the academic mission of the university. Additionally, other units of UITS provide specialized applications used by a broad cross-section of students. These tools are provided in UITS-funded computing facilities located around the Bloomington and IUPUI campuses.

Departments may request additional departmentally sponsored applications for student use in order to meet disciplinary requirements. This software partnership gives departments with limited resources the opportunity to make the tools of their discipline readily available to their students.

Departmental sponsorship means that the department or requestor takes full responsibility for support of the application.

Important: For the most expedient service, familiarize yourself with the guidelines in this document before submitting your request via the Software Request Form. To renew or upgrade your past requests, see My Software.

The software partnership was developed with the awareness that UITS cannot anticipate the specific needs of all disciplines. The needs of a specific class or preferences of one instructor over another often shape the selection of one discipline-specific application over another. In order to address these needs, UITS has established a process so departments can request applications that best meet the needs of the student, the instructor, and the department. Whether the application is deployed for a single semester or for multiple years, this process ensures that the needed applications will be available in a timely fashion.

• To ensure timely deployment, submit software requests by the following deadlines:
  
  
  • Upcoming academic year: April 15
  • Upcoming spring semester: October 15
  • Upcoming summer sessions: February 15

  Note: All software deployed in the STCs will remain deployed for the remainder of the academic year (through the following summer). If software is not renewed for the subsequent academic year, it will be phased out of the STCs during the summer upgrade cycle.

• Requests submitted by these dates will be available no later than the beginning of the requested semester provided that:
  
  
  • The application media and installation keys (if any) are provided to the STCs within one week of the date of request via:
    
    
    • CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, delivered via campus mail or in person
    • Secure FTP to the IU Slashtmp service
    • A URL to a specific code location (a generic vendor site is insufficient)

    If delivery of your media will be delayed due to matters beyond your control, please provide us an estimated delivery date so we can plan accordingly. Your request cannot be considered complete until we have access to media.

    Note: Demonstration or beta (pre-release) versions of applications are not generally acceptable for testing or deployment in the STCs.

  Note: Requests or media submitted late are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Late requesters should allow up to eight weeks for completion of their requests.

• The sponsoring department agrees to arrange for the acquisition of media and licensing of all departmentally sponsored applications.
  
  
  • Licensing varies greatly from vendor to vendor and from application to application. Permission to download and use an application at no cost might apply to an individual student but not extend to the university. Some licenses have terms permitting unlimited deployment but limited concurrent use; others require a license for each workstation that features the application. Some vendors sell the license with the textbook. No one truly owns commercial software, only the right to use it.
    
    
  • If the software in question requires a license server, the sponsoring department agrees to establish and maintain that server on its own premises. The STCs cannot support applications that are dependent on client-side HASP devices for license enforcement.

    Indiana University takes copyright compliance and software licensing very seriously. All software requested for installation in the Student Technology Centers must be properly licensed. Responsibility for appropriate licensing lies with the requester.

• Software deployment is a cooperative effort. Deployment of sponsored software will take place only after all licensing and certification requirements have been met.
  
  
  • Software partners are urged to respond promptly to all requests for information and certification. Failure to respond in a timely manner can result in unwanted delays and lost class time.
    
    
  • One license must be provided for testing and certification. All necessary licensing must be completed prior to full deployment.
    
    Note: STCs may not deploy applications without first establishing license compliance.
  
  
• Those dependent upon instructional software sponsored by UITS or other departmental sponsors are urged to request that software annually.
  
  
  • Over time, applications that were once considered discipline-specific may become widely enough used that special licensing arrangements between the vendor and UITS may permit UITS to assume responsibility for such applications. At such time, UITS will assume financial responsibility for future upgrades, as long as user demand warrants such general support.
    
    
  • Other applications that might appear to be interdisciplinary in nature are never widely enough used to justify the financial commitment on the part of the STCs to assume such a responsibility. Such a determination is made based upon the level of demand, the cost benefit to the broader student population, and other factors that may not be apparent to the department.
  
  
• The STCs may not deploy any application that compromises the security of the IU network, interferes with the operation of other applications, or requires access to services not provided by the STCs.
  
  
  • Applications that appear to be well behaved on a stand-alone workstation may not be deployable in the IU environment, as they might interfere with the ability of the STCs to maintain a highly secure and stable environment for all.
  
  
• The STCs may discontinue deployment of any application that ceases to function properly as the result of a change in the STC computing environment.
  
  
  • The STC computing environment is highly complex and, by its very nature, undergoes significant changes on a regular basis. Most of these changes are the result of periodic operating system upgrades but may also include changes to the environment. Occasionally, applications cease to function when the STC environment undergoes such a change. We will work with vendors whenever possible to seek out a suitable solution and make every effort to accommodate departments dependent upon such software.
  
  
• All departmentally sponsored applications will be reviewed on an annual basis.
  
  
  • Each spring, departmental sponsors will be asked to review the applications we deployed on their behalf during the current academic year. They will have the opportunity to indicate if they wish to renew deployment for the upcoming academic year, upgrade the application (to a newer version, for instance), or discontinue it.
    
    
  • Requests to renew or upgrade an application that arrive prior to April 15 will be given priority. Requests submitted after April 15 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
    
    
  • Applications requested to be discontinued, or for which we do not receive a request for renewal or upgrade, will not be deployed for the upcoming academic year.

Terms are subject to change without notice. This document addresses a number of contingencies. Still, some circumstances require unique partnership arrangements. Over time, this document will be modified to reflect those changes that can be applied broadly. Interested departments are encouraged to contact the STCs with questions or concerns.

Comments/Questions/Corrections