Depending on the reason for working remotely, on-campus resources may still be available. During disease outbreak, places where individuals congregate like computer labs will be shut down. Printers, cameras, and other tools in those spaces will be unavailable during those periods, and you should seek alternate options. 

Departments will make individual decisions about research labs, classrooms, etc. based on guidance from University leadership. If you are unsure about availability of technology resources physically located in your department, please contact your department directly. For technology resources managed by central IT, contact your campus IT support desk.

The University has a limited pool of devices to check out to users on an as needed basis. 

If you store protected or sensitive data on the device or equipment, you should not remove it from campus without a risk assessment from IT security and approval from both IT security and your department head. 

Access to protected and sensitive data should follow University policies and security protocols at all times. 

For all other items (monitor, cables, chargers, docking stations, etc.), you should check with your immediate supervisor before removing any OU-owned property from campus. Your department is responsible for managing the assets assigned to you, and your supervisor will be responsible for ensuring that equipment is returned to campus when your remote work period ends.

Staff can email GRC@ou.edu to request a risk assessment from IT Security if necessary. Systems, storage, and servers that access and store data should all have a completed risk assessment before being taken off campus. 

University administration has begun exploring the financial issues associated with remote work. If you believe you will need to spend money on Internet connectivity, a mobile hotspot, data overages, etc. to complete your job functions remotely, we recommend you plan ahead. Review your bills and estimate potential costs. Discuss the need with your supervisor and follow existing purchasing processes within your department to gain approval for reimbursements. 

If the damage is physical (water spill, broken screen, blank screen, drop, etc.), you should alert your supervisor and reach out to your IT rep to see if another device can be checked out for the remainder of your remote work period. If there are no available devices for check out, you should discuss other options with your supervisor. University-owned machines can be serviced by any certified warranty repair professional, but you should explore all other options before pursuing external repair. 

For all other issues, you should start by reaching out to your IT rep or contacting your campus Service Desk to explore remote support options like chat, Bomgar remote access, etc. If IT determines that the issue is truly a hardware issue and our physical Service Desk locations are closed, then we can jointly explore options for checking out another device or seeking external certified warranty repair.  

Norman Campus - No special encryption is needed to access campus IT services, so you can use your home computer to access the majority of Norman software and services. Some services require VPN connection, which is addressed in another FAQ question. Access to protected and sensitive data should follow University policies and security protocols at all times. 

HSC and Tulsa Campuses - Encryption is required to access systems housing regulated data on both the HSC and Tulsa campuses. IT is finalizing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure that will allow you to access the systems through VPN and a virtual desktop without encrypting your machine. Until that service is ready, you should reach out to your IT representative to discuss alternatives. 

University administration has begun exploring the financial issues associated with remote work. If you believe you will need to spend money on additional equipment to complete your job functions remotely, we recommend you plan ahead. Review your bills and estimate potential costs. The University does not typically reimburse for these types of expenses. However, you should discuss the need with your supervisor in cases where continuity of business operations is at risk. 

There may be equipment available to borrow on an short-term basis. Please contact the IT rep for your area and/or your campus IT service desk.

Please visit the research-related FAQ for more information.