Terms and Conditions for room bookings and the media loans system.

August 2018*

IT Services’ Media Services team provides media production equipment for loan to staff and students enrolled on an accredited course at ARU.

Equipment may be borrowed and returned during the hours publicised on SiSo and outside the Media Services reception area.

Any variation to these hours will be advertised at least 3 days in advance.

Any suggestions, compliments or complaints relating to this service should be emailed to media.services@aru.ac.uk.

In order to be fair on all borrowers, the following Terms and Conditions apply to all borrowers equally.

1. Borrowing equipment

   1.1    Equipment will only be loaned to named individuals who are registered and activated on the SiSo online booking system (www.aru.ac.uk/medialoans). 
            Equipment will only be loaned to people who are not banned.

   1.2    Equipment will only be released on production of a valid student or staff card for the person collecting the loan. Equipment is loaned to the named
            person, and remains the responsibility of that person while loaned. You may not borrow equipment on behalf of another person. In the case of people in
            a production crew, all inducted members of that crew may use the equipment.
 
   1.3    Equipment we loan under this scheme must not be used for any commercial activity.

   1.4    You can only borrow equipment during the hours publicised outside the Media Services reception areas.

   1.5    All equipment to be loaned must be booked in advance on the SiSo booking system. Requesting bookings at the counter uses limited staff time, which
            can lead to delays for both Staff and Students.

   1.6    Equipment booked for loan must be collected within one hour of the requested loan time. After one hour, the equipment will be released from the     
            booking system and made available to others to book.

   1.7    All equipment will be checked prior to loan.

   1.8    If the equipment you are borrowing requires you to receive training or health-and-safety advice, you, and each member of the crew, must prove you   
            have received the necessary training or advice.

   1.9    The standard loan period is three calendar days. This is suitable for weekend loans.

   1.10   Requests for loans for longer periods, or for extensions to existing loans that are not overdue, will be considered on merit and should be emailed to
             media.services@aru.ac.uk. Extensions will not routinely be granted. We may ask for a letter from your tutor or line manager to support your request.
             Do not assume the extension request has been granted until you have received confirmation from Media Services.

   1.11   If you experience any problems with the equipment loaned to you, you must contact the Media Services reception, either in person or via email.

2. Returning equipment

    2.1    You must return the equipment before the date and time given when making the booking.

    2.2    You can only return equipment to the loans counter during the hours publicised outside the Media Services reception areas.

    2.3    You must return the equipment in the same condition you borrowed it in.

    2.4    You must ensure all accessories are included when returning the equipment – this includes, but is not limited to, chargers, battery packs, memory
             cards, cables, lens caps.

    2.5    On return all equipment will be checked before being made available for loan to others. This is necessary to ensure that the equipment is in working
             condition. Completing these checks takes time; we apologise if this causes you any inconvenience but appreciate your understanding.

    2.6    You must ensure any personal data created or stored on any device loaned to you is deleted prior to it being returned to the loans counter.

3. Media Facilities

    3.1    When you book a studio on SiSo you will need to collect a key from the counter at Media Services reception. This key will be issued to you, and you will
             be fully responsible for the key, as you would be for any other item.

    3.2    You must begin using an edit suite or studio no later than 15 minutes after the time the booking began. We may cancel bookings for facilities which you
             do not use within this time.

    3.3    Health and Safety inductions will be provided by the appropriate members of staff before you are able to book the studios online. You are expected use
             the studios as directed during these inductions.

    3.4    You must leave any studio you use as you found it.

    3.5    The studios are not to be used for storage at any point. Multiple keys are issued for studios, and items or equipment left unattended are at risk of
             damage or loss.

    3.6    You must return the keys straight away after you have finished using the studio. Keys can be posted through the letterbox outside the Media Services
             reception outside of office hours.

4. Restricted equipment

    4.1     Some equipment requires a necessary health and safety induction due to the risks involved with using it. Media Services will provide this induction by
              prior arrangement to cohorts; individual requests are to be avoided.

    4.2     Some equipment is reserved for named courses or cohorts. This equipment will only appear on SiSo to qualifying individuals and may not be further
              requested by Staff or Students who do not have the required permissions.

    4.3     High value or delicate equipment - borrowing this equipment requires prior completion of a training course provided through the university and may
              also require additional approvals

5. Security of equipment

    5.1     You must not leave equipment unattended at any time. In particular, you must not leave equipment in an unoccupied car (this includes leaving it in the
              boot).

    5.2     Where you retain equipment overnight, you must store the equipment in a locked room, or in an occupied locked house.

    5.3     Anglia Ruskin University does not insure equipment on your behalf; you will be expected to make good any losses if the equipment is lost, stolen, or
              damaged while on loan to you.

    5.4     You must immediately report to Media Services any loss of, or damage to, equipment we loan to you. If you suspect theft or malicious damage, you
              must report this to ARU security and the police and provide us with the police incident number.

6. Late returns Procedure

              It is important that you return equipment by the date and time agreed, so that other students and staff may make use of these facilities. As a
              courtesy here is a summary of how we will proceed:

    6.1     Shortly before each item is due for return, we will endeavour to send you a reminder email message.

    6.2     As soon as an item becomes overdue, we will endeavour to send you another reminder email message; at this point you will first incur a fine and be
              banned from borrowing other equipment.

    6.3     Once a loan has incurred a fine, it may not be renewed until the fine is paid and the equipment has been returned clearing the account ban.

    6.4     If any item is more than 7 calendar days overdue we will bring this to the notice of your Course Leader or line manager.

    6.5     If any item remains overdue following a reasonable period we will send a final overdue reminder by email. This may lead to us invoking the Anglia
              Ruskin University Theft Policy and Code of Conduct for students (3b and 3i).

    6.6     All queries about fines should be raised with the loans service.

    6.7     We will consider any overdue item that is not returned after sending a final overdue reminder email as lost. Details are given in the Overdue Items and
              Damage to or loss of items sections.

7. Overdue Items

    7.1     We will fine you, if an item is overdue. We will charge this by the hour or day (or part of the hour or day). If you report an item lost after it is overdue, we
              will charge you as in condition (8.2). You will also have to pay the fine due.

    7.2     We display the scale of fines outside IT Services media reception, and on the IT Services website. The Academic IT Services Manager can decide not
              to charge fines and penalties if there are exceptional circumstances.

    7.3     If you have items overdue, or you owe money for fines, you will not be able to book or loan any items until you have paid your debt and returned the
              items.

    7.4     We will consider as lost any overdue item that is not returned after we have sent you a final overdue reminder. See section 8.2.

8 . Damage to or loss of items

    8.1     We may charge for any loss of or damage to loaned equipment at the current replacement value or repair cost. The Academic IT Services Manager will
              decide whether to repair or replace the item, and may also make an administration charge.

    8.2     We will consider as lost any overdue item that is not returned after we have sent you a final overdue reminder. The Academic IT Services Manager will
              assess the cost of replacing the item and charge you as a result.

*Updated September 2021 to alter Job Titles and email address suffix for communication