IRC recognizes that the installation of computing clusters in academic departments might offer additional opportunities for student/faculty collaboration. It is important to note, however, that there are substantial costs associated with these clusters. In addition to the initial purchase costs, substantial commitments are needed to operate and maintain the facility as well as to plan future replacement purchases to keep the equipment up to date. This document establishes the guidelines to help determine which departmental computing requests should be installed and maintained at the College. The highest priority for funding should go to proposals that address the following key characteristics:

• The cluster represents a demonstrable and critical component to the office or department’s core mission and engages a significant proportion of the students and staff in that unit.

• The activities taking place within the cluster involve specialized software and accessories that are not readily available in the public facilities.

• The department or office has sufficient physical space to site the proposed cluster in a manner consistent with the campus environment.

• Members of the department are prepared to provide local user and technical support for the cluster and sustain effective communications with IRM on the evolving operation of the cluster.

• The office or department is prepared to include the on-going replacement of cluster computers into the departmental budget initiatives and/or collaborate closely with IRM for the timely replacement of the cluster resources.

• The cluster is shared among departments and offices, while still serving the needs of each participating program.

• There is no public cluster close to the proposed location.

• The cluster is open to public use during times when it is not scheduled for courses or other events.

• Students can access the cluster during evenings and weekends.