The Faculty Computer Trade-in (FaCT) Program

Welcome!

• The FaCT program
  • A brief description
  • How the FaCT program works
  • Eligibility
  • The inventory process
  • Being selected to receive a machine
  • Services included in the FaCT program
  • Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
  • Quick links
• Still have questions?

The FaCT program: Info for New UIC Faculty

A brief description

The goal of the FaCT program is to provide eligible faculty members a computer, software, and support at no cost to the them or their department.

The Provost and UIC Administration have actively supported its faculty's effort in keeping UIC at the forefront of technology's use in education. They are also aware that, in order to keep UIC competitive, its faculty needs access to the resources to support this endeavor. One of the limiting factors regarding faculty involvement in developing online research and teaching resources is the lack of adequate computers on their desks. To that effect, the Provost provides the Academic Computing and Communications Center with recurring funds for the Faculty Computer Trade-in (FaCT) Program. Our goals are as follows:

1. Provide free machines to faculty members who are new to UIC and who meet the program's requirements.
2. Upgrade existing faculty machines approximately on a 4-year cycle, starting with the lowest-end machines.

FaCT is for benefits-eligible tenured and tenured track faculty only. Emeritus faculty are not eligible. Eligible faculty must also have a UIC NetID and UIC email account to participate. To check if you are eligible, please search or browse through this list.

How the FaCT program works

There are three steps to the FaCT program. The first step is being eligible. Once you are eligible, the second step is inventorying your current machine (assuming the faculty member has one), and the third is being selected to receive a machine under the FaCT program.

• 1. Eligibility
• 2. The inventory process
• 3. Being selected to receive a machine

Eligibility

Faculty members who are benefits-eligible, tenured or tenure track are automatically added to our list of eligible FaCT faculty. Eligibility is verified through Banner. Faculty members automatically added to the program and are notified via email. Faculty members can verify their participation in the program by looking up their names on the list of eligible FaCT faculty. If you believe you are eligible but do not see your name on the list, please send an email to fact@uic.edu.

The inventory process

Each year, ACCC replaces the lowest-end faculty computers with new FaCT machines. To do so, we require some information about the computers each faculty member currently owns/uses for work-- things like processing speed and amount of RAM installed. This information is received through the mandatory inventory process. To participate, click here to download and install the inventory software. When you run the application, only hardware information about your computer is sent to ACCC.

If the inventory software is not working for you, click here to learn what you should do. 

If you are a new, FaCT-eligible faculty member and do not have a machine to inventory, and your name does not yet appear in the list of eligible faculty members, please confirm with your department or banner regarding your appointment date and send an email to fact@uic.edu.

If you have questions about the inventory process, please send an email to fact@uic.edu.

Being selected to receive a machine

Each year, ACCC replaces the lowest-end faculty computers with new FaCT machines. The selection takes place yearly. Faculty members selected to receive a new machine are sent an email with instructions on the machine selection process.

Services included in the FaCT program: ADDA

Hardware: Your new machine will be delivered to you, or you can opt to pick it up yourself when your machine is available. ACCC will provide PC hardware support for up to 4 years of the date the machine was purchased (4 years also for Macs). The support is provided free of charge for the original equipment provided with the machine. Service charges will apply for support of additional hardware or peripherals connected to the machine. 

Note: This service applies only while the original professor has the FaCT machine. It does not apply once the machine is given to someone else.

Software & Server Services: ACCC will provide free ADDA* (AD Desktop Assistance, aka Server Services) to the faculty member assigned to the machine. Issues regarding installation or configuration are also supported and provided at no charge. Software updates are provided via ADDA and are up to the faculty member or REACH member to install. Your machine will come with:
1. Antivirus Software
2. ADSM backup software
3. Microsoft Office
4. Server Services

*already installed.

You will have access to much of the software that you already use. Here is a list of Server Services Software, and instructions on setting ADSM up on your machine are located in ADSM Backup for FaCT Personal Computers. All other questions regarding software usage need to be directed to your REACH member or to the Client Services Office.

To schedule a service call, please send an email to fact@uic.edu.

Installation

When your new machine arrives, ACCC will install the software mentioned above. You then have the following choices. You can:

1. Pick up the machine yourself without further delay
2. Have the machine delivered at the next available time -- but still unpack and install the machine yourself.
3. Schedule the next available appointment for ACCC to bring and install the machine for you.

Frequently asked questions about owning a FaCT computer are found here.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

ACCC has created several FAQ pages, each with information pertaining to the different stages of the FaCT program:

1. Click here if you do not own a FaCT computer and are also unsure if you qualify for the program.
2. Click here if you know that you qualify for the program but are unsure how to proceed.
3. Click here if you currently own a FaCT computer and have questions about your machine and the services that ACCC provides.

Quick links

Below are some helpful FaCT links:

1. List of eligible FaCT faculty
2. FaCT inventory software
3. Information regarding the FY09 FaCT batch
4. Information regarding the previous batch
5. List of faculty who have already received a computer

Any other questions?

Please send a detailed email to fact@uic.edu.