BYOD at Villanova College
At Villanova College, students manage their own laptops according to our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program.
College families have the option to purchase any laptop that meets or exceeds our Recommended Specifications.
The College provides licences for essential software such as Microsoft 365, and management of the laptop is the responsibility of students and families. Our comprehensive BYOD Setup Guides will support families with setting up laptops, including instructions from unboxing through to bringing the laptop to school, ready for use.
The following sections of this page provide additional information regarding BYOD laptops.
Specifications and Purchasing
Support and Repairs
Cybersafety
Setup Guides
Specifications and Purchasing
Specifications
To ensure your son has equitable and effective access to learning experiences involving technology, the College has devised Minimum Recommended Specifications for BYOD laptops.
Minimum Recommended Specifications refer to the lowest technical attributes for a laptop to be suitable for sustained, regular use at the College. Our Minimum Recommended Specifications are based on several factors, including:
Planned use of technology in core and elective subjects
Battery consumption and longevity of laptop life
Effective integration of technology in teaching and learning
Industry advice and our previous experience of BYOD and school-managed laptops
Due to the rapid rate of technological advancement, it is expected that devices will need to be replaced approximately every three years. Devices that meet or exceed our Minimum Recommended Specifications are more likely to be technologically current beyond this average life, but will be out of warranty and may need to be replaced if a hardware fault occurs.
Students whose devices do not meet Minimum Recommended Specifications are highly likely to have issues participating in classroom technology use. Parents should consider the upfront cost of purchasing a suitable laptop as a three-year investment in their son’s access to a curriculum with increasing technological demands. Whilst this investment may not be immediately noticeable, over the life of the device this will become more apparent.
Please refer to the following table for our current Recommended Specifications for all BYOD laptops (effective 10 September 2020 onwards).
Specification | Minimum | Optimal |
|---|---|---|
Operating System | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
Memory (RAM) | 16GB | 16GB |
Processor (CPU) | i5 | i7 |
Storage | 256 GB SSD (Solid State Drive) | 256-512 GB SSD (Solid State Drive) |
Wi-Fi | 802.11ac/802.11ax | |
Display | 12” or larger (e.g. 12.5″) | 13” |
Touch Screen | Mandatory | Mandatory |
Digital stylus (or “active pen”) | Recommended | Recommended |
Advertised battery life | 6 hours (or higher) | 8 hours (or higher) |
Insurance and cover | 3 years Extended Warranty
Accidental Damage Protection (ADP) / Accidental Damage Handling (ADH)
Theft Insurance | |
Additional software | Villanova College will provide ALL software packages. This includes Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud and other software required for core and elective subject areas. | |
Students studying Visual Art, Design, Music and Media in Years 9-12 are recommended to purchase laptops which meet the Optimal Recommended Specifications above.
Apple MacBooks and MacBook Pros
MacBooks are discouraged in Junior and Middle School. Senior School students may use MacBooks for BYOD if they are able to manage and troubleshoot technology competently and independently. As a general rule, they are not recommended for use at the College.
If your son currently attends Villanova College and uses a MacBook or MacBook Pro he may still use this device at the College. You are not required to replace this BYOD laptop immediately. However, the College expects that the next BYOD device you purchase for your son is a Windows laptop that meets the Minimum Recommended Specifications (or higher).
Warranty and Insurance
Over the course of the laptop’s life, faults and damage may occur. There are different types of protection available against these issues:
Warranty | Accidental Damage Protection (ADP) | Home and Contents Insurance |
|---|---|---|
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|
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Most laptops come with a standard 12-month warranty. However, there are a range of warranty and insurance options available that can offer parents additional benefits and an easier process if service is required.
Extended warranty protects against hardware faults that may arise within a longer term than the standard warranty.
Accidental damage protection (ADP) insures the device against physical damage caused by the user. Typically, ADP plans will have an excess of around $100 payable for a service event. ADP plans will also have a term of insurance and a claim limit, e.g. a maximum of 3 repairs may be claimed before the ADP plan is no longer valid.
On-site service means a manufacturer-certified technician can attend Villanova College to service the device.
Advanced replacement is an option on certain devices not eligible for on-site service (such as Microsoft Surface). When offered, the manufacturer will send the replacement device before you need to send back the faulty device, to minimise student time without their device.
We recommend purchasing a 3-year extended on-site warranty for BYOD laptops. This provides peace-of-mind that the device will be reliable and usable for the full three years, and ensures your son can be back up and running quickly after a hardware fault by removing shipping delays.
Further, we strongly advise purchasing ADP. The cost of ADP plus excess is much lower than the full cost of a repair for accidental physical damage not covered by warranty. It is important to note that even for the most careful students, ADP protects not only against damage caused by your son, but also accidental damage caused by another student.
JB Education Purchasing Portal
Villanova College is seeking to assist parents in device selection with an optional Parent Purchasing Portal. The portal aims to make purchasing simpler by offering a selected range of devices that meet our Minimum and/or Optimal Recommended Specifications. Parents may use this portal to select a device, accessories, warranty extensions and ADP (Accidental Damage Protection) plans and payment options.
Visit the JB Education Purchasing Portal at:
URL: byod.jbhifi.education
School code: VILLA2025
Please note that laptops purchased through the portal are not supported in JB Hi-Fi Stores. Refer to the Support and Repairs page.
Purchasing Elsewhere
Parents are not obliged to use the JB Education Purchasing Portal and may choose to purchase a device elsewhere. However, please take care to ensure your device meets the specifications and that you are able to add your desired warranty options. On-site warranty and ADP especially are not standard offerings in many retail stores, so it is important to discuss these options with the store.
Address
24 Sixth Avenue, Coorparoo, Brisbane, QLD 4151 Australia
Villanova College is an independent Catholic School for boys under the care of the Augustinian Order. Striving for excellence in boys’ education as an Augustinian community one in mind and heart on the way towards God.
