Individuals with approved hybrid or remote schedules are expected to use university devices at home. If you need new equipment, please consult with your IT staff on the best laptop, desktop, or peripherals for you, as well as help you with warranty and keep-your-hard-drive options.
Depending on your home setup and desk space, you may benefit from an additional 1-2 monitors. This may be true whether you are using a desktop or laptop, Windows or Mac. Please consult with your collegiate or administrative unit about what options might be available.
If you work on a laptop, you might enhance your work area with the addition of a docking station so multiple peripherals (e.g., keyboard, monitor, mouse, etc.) can quickly connect. When working on a laptop at a desk, a dock provides a more desktop-like experience, while still allowing an easy disconnect when you want to experience the laptop’s portability. There are many options to choose from.
If you are using a UI-owned desktop at home, and you cannot situate it close enough to the router to use an Ethernet cable, work with your IT support staff to purchase a WiFi network adapter.
Most laptops purchased within the last few years already have built-in webcams. If you require an add-on webcam for your desktop or laptop, reach out to your local IT support staff for purchasing assistance.
Headsets that are optimized for Microsoft Skype for Business and work well for Zoom calls can be purchased via ITS Unified Communications. Higher-end Bluetooth and noise-canceling headphones are not typically approved by UI purchasing.
This can be a challenge with remote work; the University has made strides to limit the proliferation of desktop printing in favor of less costly networked workgroup printing. In cases where it meets the employee needs, print jobs can be sent remotely to campus workgroup printers and multi-function devices. If it is necessary to provide a printer for printing from home, please consult with your assigned IT support staff to make appropriate arrangements.