Frequently Asked Questions

Most IT-PCS requests take approximately 3–4 weeks to complete. The length of the review can vary depending on the product or service, the type(s) of UMB data involved, whether the vendor must provide security, privacy, accessibility, or contract documentation, and whether multiple review areas need to evaluate the request. Please plan ahead and submit your IT-PCS request as early as possible; requests that need immediate approval may not be able to be expedited.

Requests may take longer when vendor documentation is missing, incomplete, or requires follow-up. Delays most often occur when vendors do not respond promptly, need time to provide required materials, or when the review identifies questions that must be resolved before the purchase can move forward.

No. However, if the posted content is critical, required for student coursework, or necessary for faculty or staff to complete their job responsibilities, UMB should provide individuals with disabilities an alternative means of accessing the same content to comply with Title II requirements. Any social media advertising that promotes opportunities should also be provided in an alternative manner. For more information about digital content requirements, visit the UMB Accessibility website.

While anyone may submit a request on someone else’s behalf, it is strongly recommended that the product owner or primary user(s) complete the form. This helps ensure that the information submitted is accurate and complete.

The expectation is that the product or application owner should be the one submitting the IT-PCS request. However, for centrally managed, campus-wide, or department-wide systems, the group that manages the system is responsible for submitting the IT-PCS form. Individual departments do not need to submit separate requests for these systems.

If a request is denied, an explanation will be provided along with suggested next steps when available. This may include recommended alternatives, changes to the proposed use, additional documentation to provide, or other options for moving the request forward. The IT-PCS form includes a built-in appeal option, and you may submit additional information, clarification, or supporting documents as part of the appeal. The request will then be reconsidered, and approved appeals are clearly marked within the system.

Once your request is approved, the next step depends on how the purchase will be completed. For P-Card purchases or free software, the department may proceed with the purchase, but any terms and conditions should be sent to SSAS-Contract-Review@umaryland.edu for review before the purchase is made so the terms can be reviewed and negotiated if necessary.

 For purchases that require a requisition, please submit the requisition with a copy of the approved IT-PCS form and other required documentation, such as the quote or proposal, sole source justification, or other supporting materials.

Not usually. You only need to submit the IT-PCS form once per product or service for your specific use case. If your use of the product changes (for example, by adding new features, modules, integrations, or expanding how it is used), you should update your existing IT-PCS submission rather than creating a new one.

The IT-PCS system may periodically ask product owners to review and confirm that their submission remains accurate and that the product or service is still in use. If significant changes have occurred since the original review, additional reviews by IT, Security & Compliance, Digital Accessibility, or other stakeholders may be required before continued use is approved. 

Sometimes.

If an add-on or extension is built into an already-approved product and does not require accepting a separate license or sharing data outside the product, an IT-PCS form is not required.

If the add-on, plugin, or extension comes from a third party and requires accepting its own terms of use, licensing agreement, or has access to UMB data, it does require an IT-PCS submission.

Yes. IT hardware purchases require an IT-PCS form, even when the hardware is purchased through CITS or a school/department IT group.

This includes physical hardware or equipment, computer systems, and computer components purchased as part of assembling or substantially modifying a computer system, such as building a custom workstation.

No. However, please indicate the IT-PCS form number from the approved request within the purchase description for the charge each month.

Periodically, the IT-PCS system may ask product owners to review their submission and confirm that the product or service is still in use and that the information on file remains accurate. This helps ensure that UMB maintains an accurate inventory of technology solutions and can identify changes that may affect security, privacy, accessibility, compliance, support, or procurement requirements.

If significant changes have occurred since the original review, such as new features, integrations, data types, or use cases, additional reviews by IT, Security & Compliance, Digital Accessibility, or other stakeholders may be required before continued use is approved.

A previous IT-PCS approval does not guarantee that a product, service, or use case will be approved indefinitely. Some approvals may be temporary and granted with the expectation that the department will migrate to an approved alternative within a specified timeframe. In other cases, risks, regulatory requirements, accessibility standards, vendor practices, contractual terms, or UMB requirements may have changed since the original review.

As a result, a product that was previously approved may require additional review, new approval conditions, modifications to how it is used, or, in some cases, replacement with an alternative solution.

IT-PCS requests are reviewed by three groups before being delivered to SSAS for procurement. If your request is pending:

• School/Department review: contact your school or department IT group.
• Security & Compliance review: email security-compliance@umaryland.edu.
• Digital Accessibility review: email accessibilityreview@umaryland.edu.