DoIT Computer Lending Program - General Information

The DoIT Computer Lending Program primarily serves as a resource for active students in support of their academic studies; however, it is also available for faculty or staff who are traveling abroad. Departments are highly encouraged to work with their local IT to find available resources.

Eligibility

To be eligible to check out equipment from the DoIT Computer Lending Program, you must have:

  • A valid Wiscard
  • A valid NetID

Faculty/Staff: If the program has computer availability and the customer is a faculty/staff member traveling abroad, they are eligible for a loaner computer without having to contact their local IT. 

Policies

Checkouts are only available during the DoIT Help Desk's Walk-In hours (Monday through Friday, 7:45am to 5pm). Please see Get Help from DoIT for the most up-to-date hours.

Customers can check out one of each item per checkout term. Requests for more than one item per term are subject to approval. 

Customers may not check out equipment in place of other customers. This is subject to penalties regarding future program eligibility.

All equipment for the program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Computer Lending Program does not take individual reservation requests. There is a limited supply of equipment and availability is not guaranteed.

Customers must return equipment on or before the agreed due date within the DoIT Help Desk's Walk-In hours. If equipment is not returned, a hold may be placed on student records until the matter is resolved. The DoIT Computer Lending Program reserves the ability to lock machines from use if no response is received concerning an overdue item or if an item is reported to be misplaced or stolen.

The Equipment must be returned to us in the same condition that you received it, except for normal wear and tear. 

Customers who return equipment late must wait 1 business day before being allowed to check out equipment again.

The DoIT Walk-In Help Desk can not assist with non-university licensed, third-party owned software. Any assistance is best effort and up to the discretion of the willing agent.

The DoIT Walk-In Help Desk and Computer Lending Program are not responsible for customer data. Customers are recommended to independently back up their data. The university provides many cost-free resources such as the GSuite and Microsoft OneDrive for data backup.

Customers are responsible for any shipping costs associated with returning equipment. 

The Computer Lending Program is not able to sell equipment from the program for personal obtainment. 

Equipment from the Computer Lending Program is not meant for personal or permanent use or ownership. Use of equipment must follow the university's Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy.

Long-Term Laptop Checkout Calendar

The following is the checkout calendar for laptop checkouts during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Academic Year. Laptops will not be extended past the term they are due. If a laptop is needed for the following term, customers must return their current laptop on or before the due date. Checkouts for the following term are not available until the dates listed in the table below.

2023-24 Academic Year
Term: Checkouts Begin: Due Date:
2023 Summer 5/1/2023 8/25/2023
2023 Fall 8/14/2023 12/22/2023 (Friday After Finals)
2024 Spring 12/4/2023 5/13/2024 (Monday After Finals)
2024 Summer 4/29/2024 8/16/2024 (Friday After 8-week Session)

2024-25 Academic Year
Term: Checkouts Begin: Due Date:
2024 Fall 8/19/2024 12/20/2024 (Friday After Finals)
2025 Spring 12/06/2024 5/12/2025 (Monday After Finals)
2025 Summer 4/28/2025 8/15/2025 (Friday After 8-week Session)

Equipment

The following describes the equipment that the Computer Lending Program provides.

NOTE: We do not take individual reservation requests for equipment and can not guarantee device availability. Any inquiries can be directed to the DoIT Computer Lending Program contact form.

Dell Laptops

Lending Term for Students: One Semester or Less - Please see checkout calendar listed above for details on semester-long loans.

Models: Dell Latitude 7410, Latitude 7490, Latitude 3510

  • Specifications (May Vary): Intel Core i5-10310U 1.7GHz (4.4GHz boost), 8GB ram, 1024x768p resolution, 14" screen, 256GB SSD
  • Software: Windows 11 64-bit with Microsoft Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom, Illustrator, Acrobat, Bridge, and Edge Animate), Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Skype, and more. 
  • Software and Data Policy: Customers are free to install any other software that they require. Please note that we do not support customer-installed software, and all software and data will be erased from the computer at the end of the rental period.

MacBook Laptops

Lending Term for Students: One Semester or Less - Please see checkout calendar listed above for details on semester-long loans.

Models: MacBook Air (M2, 2022), Macbook Pro (Intel, 2017) - Faculty/Staff Only

  • Specifications: Macbook Air (M2, 2022)Macbook Pro (Intel, 2017) 
  • Software: Mac OS Monterey with base Apple software 
  • Software and Data Policy: Customers are free to install any other software that they require. Please note that we do not support customer-installed software, and all software and data will be erased from the computer at the end of the rental period.

Hot Spot Modems

Lending Term: 7-Days or Less


Wireless Hot Spot Modems are not available for renewal. These modems are not intended for primary internet usage or HD video streaming and have a cap of 20GB of high-speed data. Data coverage is not guaranteed and is based on Verizon's coverage map. These are not meant to be used internationally or outside of continental US.

  • Models: 
    Verizon Jetpack MiFi 8820L
  • Setup and Troubleshooting: For setup and troubleshooting, please refer to Verizon's documentation at one of the links below, pertaining to the model that you have:

    Verizon Jetpack MiFi 8820L

Alternative Campus Resources

Listed below is a comparison of the Infolabs and the Computer Lending Program. The programs operate separately to help support campus needs for equipment. 

Comparison of the Infolabs and Computer Lending Program
Short-term Loaners (InfoLab Program) Long-term Loaners (Computer Lending Program)
  • Eligibility: students, staff, faculty
  • Loan periods: 7-Day Loans
  • Equipment: Apple and Dell laptops, AV Equipment from College Library
  • Locations, hours, and availability: See Equipment for Checkout
  • Questions: technologycirculation@library.wisc.edu
  • Returns: must be returned to library where checkout occurred

FAQ

Where can I contact the DoIT Computer Lending Program?
The DoIT Computer Lending Program is managed by the Walk-In Help Desk. Customers can either submit a ticket with us through the DoIT Computer Lending Program Contact Form or physically come in to our Walk-In space at 1210 W Dayton Street in the Computer Sciences Building. We are open Monday through Friday from 7:45am to 5pm. 

Where do I return my DoIT Computer Lending Program device?
Devices from the DoIT Computer Lending Program can be returned to the Walk-In Help Desk. We are located at 1210 W Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53706 in the Computer Sciences building. If a customer enters from the main doors on W Dayton Street, the Walk-In Help Desk is in the offices directly to the right of the atrium space. We also have lockers that are available upon request for customers that may not be able to return devices during Walk-In hours. Requests for lockers can be escalated to the Service Desk.

We do not take returns for any of the Infolabs/Libraries equipment. Customers need to return the equipment to the locations where they picked up. 

Devices may be shipped to the Walk-In Help Desk. Please see Shipping to the DoIT Help Desk: Computer Repair and Loaner Equipment for more information on shipping loaner devices to the DoIT Help Desk. DoIT highly recommends to purchase insurance with the shipping provider for the package. If items are damaged or lost in transit, the customer is responsible for either a repair or replacement of the device as it states in their checkout agreement. Customers must email repair@doit.wisc.edu to notify that their device is being shipped back along with any tracking information. If customers have any other questions or concerns, they can fill out the DoIT Computer Lending Program request form. 

Please note that if equipment is returned by contactless locker or through shipping, penalties may still occur if the equipment is overdue. Equipment will always be due at the end of business hours the day that the customer has agreed to return the equipment. 

Can my friend or someone else return my laptop for me?
Yes, however you are still held responsible if there are any missing or damaged parts of the loaner bundle. We reserve the right to place a hold on your student records if the equipment was not returned to us or is returned with missing or damaged parts.

Can I check out equipment for a friend?
No. This is a direct violation of our check out policies. 

Can I reserve a laptop ahead of time?
No. The DoIT Computer Lending Program is not able to provide individual reservations ahead of time. Customers are only eligible to check out one laptop and/or one hot spot at a time. Checkout requests for more than one of each item are subject to approval.

I am faculty/staff. Can I loan out equipment?
Yes, however we highly encourage staff and faculty to reach out to their local IT departments for available resources before reaching out to the Computer Lending Program. All faculty/staff requests are subject to approval.

Is there a waitlist I can be added to for a laptop?
No. The Computer Lending Program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis due to the limited number of laptops we have available in our inventory.

Can I renew my device? 
The DoIT Computer Lending Program will no longer extend currently checked-out equipment past the term that items are due. If a customer needs equipment past their current due date, they will need to come in to the DoIT Walk-In Help Desk to return their current item and check out a new one if available. If there are none available, they must wait 1 business day to allow their recently returned laptop to go through check-in processing before they can be allowed to check it out.

Note: The Computer Lending Program has a limited supply of laptops that are meant to support all eligible students. It would not be fair to allow customers to continually renew their equipment each semester, since the laptops already have semester-long checkout terms. Additionally, the laptops from the Computer Lending Program are not meant to be permanent replacements for personal machines or for departmental work machines. If customers have questions or feedback concerning this policy or any other policies that we have, please reach out through the DoIT Computer Lending Program Request Form or email directly to clp@doit.wisc.edu.

For any questions concerning this policy, please submit a request through the DoIT Computer Lending Program Request Form.

What happens if I don't return my device on time?
The DoIT Computer Lending Program will make attempts to contact you concerning your overdue loaner before moving forward with any actions that may affect your student records. The program reserves the ability to place holds on your student records which may affect enrollment and official transcripts. Additionally, hot spot service may be suspended and laptops may be locked down from retrieving data if the program is unable to get in contact with the customer.

How much does it cost to rent a computer, and how long can I rent one for?
Our loaner equipment is cost-free for students enrolled at UW-Madison. Laptops are available for semester-long checkouts and hot spots are available one week at a time.

I'm having an issue with a loaner computer. Can I call or email for help?
Yes. The DoIT Help Desk will provide best effort support for issues with the physical devices that customers have checked out. If an issue cannot be fixed over the phone or through email, the DoIT Help Desk may direct customers to return the device to the Walk-In Help Desk at their earliest convenience to swap it for another one if we have laptops available.