By Dylan Bradley/editor-in-chief
TCC students, faculty and staff can receive a 40 percent discount on donated surplus technology, specifically computers, from Goodwill.
The district’s computers are refreshed every five years or as needed. The old computers are then donated to Goodwill, which refurbishes and resells them.
Prices before applying the student discount start at $49 for towers, $129 for laptops and $150 for complete systems.
Information and technology vice chancellor Tim Marshall said the program not only helps bolster the community’s job market but helps the college save money.
“We don’t have to pay to have them disposed,” he said. “It helps Goodwill, and it makes sure that we keep good equipment in front of our students and our faculty.”
The process begins with each campus’ desktop services department removing the old computers from the classrooms and removing any data from the hard drives.
“They erase everything on the hard drive before it leaves the campus,” inventory control coordinator Nathan Davis said.
Desktop services then transports the items to the MLK warehouse, including furniture TCC will no longer use.
“Depending on their condition or age, we will determine whether or not it’s something that can be repurposed throughout the district,” Davis said about the furniture.
He said usable furniture is disbursed within the district. If not, it is picked up by Goodwill.
While furniture is disbursed throughout local Goodwill locations for sale, computers remain in the Fort Worth distribution center’s ComputerWorks Store, where they are refurbished and then sold.
ComputerWorks director Terry Willett said computers that are not fixable are broken down into parts and sold to certified recyclers.
Computers in good condition are refurbished and then sold at a discounted price.
Willett said they pick up from the warehouse every week.
“It depends on what time of year it is,” Willett said. “The first part of summer, they’re getting done with everything, so it speeds up quite a bit.”
The computer store sells everything from individual computer parts such as RAM, video cards, mice and monitors to bundles that include everything a customer will need aside from the monitor.
Macintosh sales are limited to one per student, faculty or staff. PCs are not limited.
The ComputerWorks Store also offers full-service repairs, but the discount does not apply.
