Laptop & Equipment Loaning

Policy for Loaning Laptop Computers to Students

Scope

The Laptop Loaner program is intended to provide a back-up laptop to BU Medical Campus students if their laptop has failed. It is not intended to provide laptops to students for other reasons. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that no personal data, including classwork, is stored on the loaner computer, since files will be erased when returned to the Library Computing Help Desk staff. Instead, students should use portable drives, cloud drives or other external means of data storage while using the loaner laptop.

Documentation and Extent of Loan

The period of the loan will be determined by BUMC IT via the Computing Help Desk in INS 1109 (L-1109)  based on the severity of the problem with the student’s computer. If a student has turned in their personal laptop to an outside repair shop, the Computing Help Desk staff must be presented with a repair slip from the shop prior to picking up the loaner. The period of the loan will not exceed seven days, unless the estimated time to complete all repairs has been documented as requiring more than seven days.

How to Obtain a Loaner Laptop

Laptop loaners may be checked out from the 11th floor Help Desk & Public Computing (INS 1109) between the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Under special circumstances or scheduled exams, appointments can be made to pickup outside of office hours.

Students may also call (617) 358-4540 between the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday to check on the availability of a loaner.

Laptop Specifications

Each laptop in the loaner program will meet the minimum standards expected of required student laptops, and will be configured to support the classes in which they are being used. Every loaner laptop will be configured to use both wireless and Ethernet access to the Internet. However, students must provide their own Ethernet cable if they choose not to use the wireless network.