Following discussions among the members of the Joint Committee, the Administration has agreed to provide an annual Technology Fund to the Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences.  This fund is to be used to ensure that office computer equipment of tenured and tenure-track faculty members in these two Faculties is upgraded on a regular basis.  The details of how the amount of the fund is to be determined and the purpose of the fund achieved are as follows. Close to the beginning of each calendar year, with effect from 2003, a count will be taken of the total number of tenured and tenure-track faculty members in each of the two Faculties.  Each Faculty will receive an amount equal to $250 multiplied by the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty members in the Faculty.  In any year, one-quarter of the faculty members will be eligible for an allocation of $1,000 towards the purchase or lease of office computer equipment.  Once a faculty member has received an allocation of $1,000, she or he will not be eligible for another allocation for four years.  Office computers are the first priority of this programme.

The figure of $1,000 was chosen after consideration of current computer equipment prices.  Should prices continue to fall, this figure may be reduced.  Also, in common with any equipment paid for with University funds, all Technology Fund computer equipment purchases remain the property of the University.

[Information taken from memo from K. Norrie and K. Belaire to the Deans of Humanities and Social Sciences, dated January 2, 2003.]