The University of Texas System has a Campus Enterprise Agreement (CEA) with Microsoft Corporation, giving University of Texas System (UTS) students, faculty, and staff access to many of Microsoft's popular computer software titles for a nominal fee. The software titles include operating systems, desktop productivity tools, and infrastructure server and messaging products. In general, the agreement provides that every UTS student, faculty member, and staff employee can use the latest versions of select Microsoft software both on campus and at home. However you should know:
Students must read, understand, and sign this agreement prior to purchasing:
The UTHSCSA Bookstore will handle distribution and verification for departmental and personal purchases. Departmental purchases must be completed on a Bookstore Departmental Requisition. Purchases of CEA software for personal purposes are completed using the following steps: Purchasing Process step-by-step (Personal software purchases only):
The price per CD is listed by each item. The price being charged covers the bookstore's cost of purchasing the compact disks; there is no markup. Please understand that if the vendor who supplies us with CDs raises its price, we must raise our price by an equivalent amount to cover our out-of-pocket costs.
Q: I am currently a resident at University Hospital, but I went to school at UTHSCSA. Am I eligible?
A: No. You must be a currently enrolled student, or be employed by the UTHSCSA to be eligible. The contract between Microsoft and the UT System does not extend benefits to former students (residents, interns, etc.) of the UTHSCSA. The contract also does not extend benefits to organizations with which the UTHSCSA is affiliated, such as the University Hospital or the VA Hospital. To be eligible to purchase Microsoft CEA software, you must qualify as either a student or employee of the UTHSCSA, and be able to present a valid UTHSCSA identification card. If you believe that you qualify as a student or employee of the UTHSCSA, but you do not have a UTHSCSA identification card, you will need to get one. Visit the UTHSCSA department or school with which you are affiliated and ask them what you must do to obtain a UTHSCSA identification card.
Q: Can I have my order sent to me via Campus Mail?
A: No, because of the necessary verification process, all purchases must be done in person.
Q: How much does the software cost? Can I get more than one title on each CD?
A: See "Product Pricing" above. There is only one software title on a compact disk. Some titles include multiple CDs and must be purchased together as a set.
Q: What is this program about? Why is it so inexpensive?
A: In a nutshell, UT purchased a license to use several Microsoft titles over a four-year period. The purchase price is actually set to cover the cost of the media, not the software.
Q: Do I pay tax?
A: All personal purchases will be charged tax. Only departments are tax exempt.
Q: If I lose my CDs, can I get another one? What if it’s defective?
A: Replacements will be given only for defective copies. Lost CDs cannot be replaced. Exchanges will be made within 90 days of the date of purchase, but only for the very same title. No refunds will be given, only even exchanges on defective products.
Q: If I lose one CD out of a set, do I have to buy the whole set again?
A: Unfortunately, yes. Because our ordering/tracking system sees the set as one complete unit, we cannot "break apart" sets.
Q: Can I buy a copy of Office for Mac and a copy of Office for Windows?
A: Yes. These are considered as two separate titles.
Q: I understand that I can purchase only one copy of each title, but this is a four-year contract and Microsoft is bound to release a new version of these software titles. How does that affect me?
A: New versions of titles are considered as two separate titles. So, you can purchase one copy of the new title.
Q: When will the other titles be available? How will I find out?
A: Check the bookstore's webpage. As other titles become available, we will list them here.
Q: Who do I call for help if I have a problem or question?
A: Due to the nature of the contract, the only support available is the extensive help system on the media itself. You may obtain on-line assistance via the Microsoft Support Online or purchase phone support from Microsoft. For more information visit: http://www.microsoft.com/support/
Send questions to the Computing Resources Department's IMS Service Desk, IMS-ServiceDesk@uthscsa.edu.