Please consult the Emerson College Lab Projected Software List before requesting software for the 2021-22 academic year.
If you (faculty, staff, or student) are interested in having a piece of software installed in a computer lab or classroom for the purposes of instruction, workshops, or organizational use, you may submit your request using the Emerson College IT Lab Software Request Form.
Lab Software Request Deadlines
| Semester for use | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | July 1 |
| Spring | December 1 |
| Summer (any session) | May 1 |
Priority will be given to requests that have met these deadlines. Requests outside of these deadlines cannot be guaranteed for the first day of class and will be addressed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Approval and Installation of Free Software
Emerson IT Lab Operations will review the request to ensure software and hardware compatibility. If your request meets these requirements, please allow 2 weeks from the time of your request for testing and installation.
Procurement and Installation Process for Paid Software
Emerson IT Lab Operations will review the request to ensure software and hardware compatibility. If applicable, Emerson IT will also identify special license requirements for lab or educational use. Emerson IT will then contact the software vendor to procure a quote or estimate.
This information will then be shared to both you and your respective department chair/admin (e.g., VMA or WLP) to make a final purchasing decision. Your department or school will be responsible for covering the licensing/subscription costs and any subsequent fees or maintenance charges. Emerson IT generally does not cover the cost of specialty software licenses.
Once the purchase is approved by your department, as well as Procurement Services, the vendor will typically provide Emerson IT with licenses. Please allow 2 weeks from the receipt of these licenses for testing and installation.
In the event that a piece of software cannot be installed, Emerson College IT will contact you with details regarding the problem within 1 week of the initial request, and make reasonable suggestions for alternatives where possible.
Software Lifecycle
Requested software shall be installed for a period of no longer than one calendar year.
Each year you anticipate needing a piece of software beyond the current academic year, you must re-submit your request using the software request form.
All software will be removed prior to the Fall semester, as part of our yearly computer lab and classroom software refresh.
If a piece of software is requested and approved for the Spring or Summer semesters, they will still be removed by the end of the final Summer session to make way for the Fall semester software refresh.
To ensure your software is purchased (if applicable), tested, and installed in time to accommodate the start of your course, please be sure to submit your renewal request on or before the published deadlines.
Testing
By agreeing to install software in a computer lab or classroom space, Emerson College IT will test that the application launches properly and performs basic file, edit, and print operations.
If you have specific requirements or customizations for software functionality, we require that you provide us with detailed information about your needs, and will be available to complete your own end user testing prior to deployment to campus computers.
Updates
We will install the most current version of software available during the Summer prior to the Fall semester start. For compatibility and testing purposes, if new versions are released mid-semester, we will perform the upgrades the following summer. Exceptions to this include if compatibility or stability issues arise, or if clear and published security vulnerabilities become apparent.