All Northwest students are provided with a wireless-ready laptop computer. Northwest laptop models may vary between students, depending on availability and enrollment status. Students enrolled in Online Professional program have a different fee structure and are ineligible to participate in the Northwest laptop program.
All repairs of Northwest-issued laptops for hardware or software failure as a result of normal everyday wear is free of charge at the Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center.
Since Northwest owns the University-provided laptop computer and its software, the Office of Information Technology reserves the right to format and reload the hard disk without the user's permission after it is returned to the Northwest Technology Service Center. Users are encouraged by Information Technology to back up personal files on a weekly basis to prevent loss of data in case of hardware or software failure.
To pick up or return your Northwest-issued laptop computer, visit the Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center.
To pick up a laptop, read and sign with the Laptop Agreement under the Personal Information tab in CatPAWS.
Spring 2025 laptop returns must be received on campus by Friday, May 9th. Students who cannot return their laptop at Northwest’s Maryville or Kansas City Center locations should use the pre-paid UPS return label provided below by the University to ship their laptop. Students who use their own shipping label will not be reimbursed.
While Northwest strongly encourages campus-issued laptop computer to be returned in-person at the Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center, due to liability issues, individuals may return their laptop via traditional mail.
To return a campus-issued laptop via shipment, email the Northwest Technology Service Center at helpdesk@nwmissouri.edu and include a tracking number, the sticker number on the front of the laptop and contact information; indicate whether you are also returning the AC adapter. Users will be charged $25 if the Northwest AC adapter is not returned with the campus-issued laptop computer.
Ship your Northwest-issued laptop with its AC adapter to:
Northwest Missouri State University
MDC - 800 University Drive
Notebook Returns --ECSC 108
Maryville, MO 64468
Pack the laptop securely, or have the mail service do it for you. Users are liable for up to $1,500 if the laptop is lost, stolen or damaged in transit; users are strongly encouraged to request insurance of $1,500 in case it is damaged, lost or stolen while in route via traditional mail.
Students must return their laptop computers to the Electronic Campus Support Center before or on the last day of final exams or within five business days of withdrawing from the University.
The latest the campus laptop computer may be returned without being charged a replacement fee is the first business day after final exams. Failure to return your campus laptop computer will result in a $1,500 replacement cost fine.
If, for some reason. you cannot return your laptop computer by the first business day after final exams, contact the Northwest Technology Service Center at 660.562.1634 to make special arrangements for returning your laptop computer on an approved day.
If you are pre-registered for courses during the summer or fall sessions, you do not have to return your Northwest-issued laptop.
If you are not taking summer courses and are pre-registered for the fall semester, you will be charged a summer rental fee of $75, which will appear on your University bill.
If you are not pre-registered for summer or fall courses, you must return your Northwest-issued laptop at the end of the spring term. Failure to return your campus laptop computer will result in a $1,500 replacement cost fine.
Staff can pick up their equipment on their first day of employment from the Northwest Technology Service Center.
Full-time faculty will receive their equipment from the Learning and Teaching Center at the New Faculty Orientation.
The Northwest Technology Service Center must be contacted by the department head to inform the team of the hiring of a new adjunct faculty member. Assuming this has been done, adjunct faculty can pick up their equipment on their first day of employment or have their department chair contact us for early access.
Note: In any case, your Northwest Network Account must be created before you will be eligible to check out any equipment from the Northwest Technology Service Center.
BitLocker is a security application used by Northwest for security purposes on all Northwest Windows devices. BitLocker prevents loss of data if a device is lost or stolen. BitLocker is always running in the background on your Northwest Windows devices; however, system updates may prompt a need for a recovery key. Your BitLocker recovery key is a unique 48-digit numerical password that can be used to unlock your system if BitLocker is unable to confirm that the attempt to access the system drive is authorized. This key may change periodically. Always look for the current key rather than using a previous one.
Note: Your BitLocker recovery key is specific to your device. Sharing this information with others may result in a breach of security.
If your Northwest Windows device prompts you with the following screen, please complete the steps below.
Protecting your University-provided laptop computer from damage and theft is important. Here are some guidelines.
To clean the LCD screen, use LCD screen solution/wipes, eyeglass cleaning solution or one-part isopropyl alcohol and one-part water (50/50 solution). Do not apply solution directly to screen. Pour solution onto a soft, clean, cotton cloth and use the cloth on your LCD laptop screen.
To clean the keyboard, use a soft, clean, cotton cloth, cotton swabs and a can of compressed air. Do not spray cleaning solutions onto keyboard. A one-part isopropyl alcohol and one-part water (50/50) solution is all that is needed. Do not spray or pour the solution directly onto keyboard. Pour a small amount on a cloth, squeeze out excess and gently apply the cloth to the keyboard. Use cotton swabs and compressed air to clean between the keys. Turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake to dislodge any particles stuck between keys.
The Office of Information Technology and the Northwest Technology Service Center are not responsible for supporting or backing up personal files on University-provided laptop computers. The user is solely responsible for backing up personal files to an alternative storage device.
Alternative storage devices are not provided by the Electronic Campus Support Center or the Office of Information Technology. The user is responsible for purchasing a device with personal funds. Such devices include, but are not limited to, a USB flash drive or external hard drive.
Northwest students, employees and University-approved organizations have OneDrive file storage with their Northwest email accounts.
Since Northwest began providing laptop computers for students, an average of seven laptop computers per year have been reported stolen from rooms and vehicles. Although theft is rare and occurs primarily off-campus and outside Maryville city limits, students should take reasonable measures to protect their laptop computer.
Students are responsible for repairs for their laptop computer with financial responsibility determined by severity of damage. In a typical year, about 150 repairs result in a student being billed for the damage.
The most common non-warranty repairs are broken LCD screens ($50 charge), lost AC adapter ($25) and repairs resulting from liquid spills that corrode and short internal circuits ($50 charge).
In most cases, depending on circumstances involved with the damage, students are not billed for the full cost of repair unless the laptop computer sustained major damage due to vandalism or obvious abuse, or was lost or stolen.
While you can add decorative or personal stickers to your Northwest-issued laptop, you are responsible for removing those stickers and adhesive residue prior to returning the laptop to Northwest. Failure to do so may result in a $10 charge. The Northwest ID sticker must remain intact and not damaged.
You can add decorative or personal stickers to your Northwest-issued laptop. However, you are responsible for removing those stickers and adhesive residue prior to returning the laptop to Northwest. Failure to do so may result in a $10 charge. The Northwest ID sticker must remain intact, fully visible and not damaged.
Students are financially responsible in full for major damage, loss or theft of a campus-issued laptop computer up to $1,500 and will be billed accordingly.
Although manufacturing defects are covered by the vendor and hardware and software repair is free of charge at the Electronic Campus Support Center, Northwest does not provide additional coverage to protect your campus-issued laptop from damage, loss or theft.
For major laptop computer damage, vandalism or theft, students are encouraged to purchase liability insurance from an insurance provider of your choice.
Three such vendors are listed below and will cover other personal equipment such as TVs, personal computers, gaming consoles, etc:
Northwest does not endorse any provider and encourages students and parents to research the best option for their needs.
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