Why Lakeland should create printing limits
Conserving paper by limiting printing is eco-friendly
Ashley Paulson
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: Opinions
Rough economic times have fallen upon all of us, including Lakeland College. Lakeland could follow the example of other institutions in cost savings and resource savings on campus.
At a previous university that I attended, the campus instituted a program that allowed students to print a certain number of pages each semester. Students were given a balance at the beginning of the semester of 500 copies that were available to print. This balance was at no extra cost to students, as it was included in tuition. Balance amounts were directly linked with a student's account information when signing on to computers and could be checked on the computers as well.
After using up the 500 sheet balance, students could add more money to their account so that they would be able to print once again. Only once while attending this university did I exceed the printing limit, and was relieved with the ease of which I could add more money to my account, yet also horrified that I had printed 500 sheets of paper during one semester.
Other universities take a more extreme approach to printing. Some universities require students to pay for a printing allowance, which is not included in tuition. The money is loaded on to a card, which is then used to track printing.
Lakeland should definitely take a look at these two examples. Students, faculty, and staff would become more aware of their paper usage. Far too often I have witnessed Lakeland students printing large documents, only to throw them into the recycling bins. I commend students for using the recycling bins that are available in the labs; however, is it necessary to waste such large quantities of paper? Double-sided printing should also be allowed for Lakeland students. Currently, my understanding is that faculty are able to print double-sided, however, students are not.
By following these examples set by other universities, Lakeland could see a dramatic cost savings. Not only would Lakeland be saving money, but would be helping to save our environment. Students, staff, and faculty would become more aware of their paper usage, just as I did at my previous university.
Can this program be implemented at Lakeland? Well, I'm certainly not a tech whiz, but I think it should be looked into. In the long run, this could save Lakeland money and make our campus just a little bit greener.
At a previous university that I attended, the campus instituted a program that allowed students to print a certain number of pages each semester. Students were given a balance at the beginning of the semester of 500 copies that were available to print. This balance was at no extra cost to students, as it was included in tuition. Balance amounts were directly linked with a student's account information when signing on to computers and could be checked on the computers as well.
After using up the 500 sheet balance, students could add more money to their account so that they would be able to print once again. Only once while attending this university did I exceed the printing limit, and was relieved with the ease of which I could add more money to my account, yet also horrified that I had printed 500 sheets of paper during one semester.
Other universities take a more extreme approach to printing. Some universities require students to pay for a printing allowance, which is not included in tuition. The money is loaded on to a card, which is then used to track printing.
Lakeland should definitely take a look at these two examples. Students, faculty, and staff would become more aware of their paper usage. Far too often I have witnessed Lakeland students printing large documents, only to throw them into the recycling bins. I commend students for using the recycling bins that are available in the labs; however, is it necessary to waste such large quantities of paper? Double-sided printing should also be allowed for Lakeland students. Currently, my understanding is that faculty are able to print double-sided, however, students are not.
By following these examples set by other universities, Lakeland could see a dramatic cost savings. Not only would Lakeland be saving money, but would be helping to save our environment. Students, staff, and faculty would become more aware of their paper usage, just as I did at my previous university.
Can this program be implemented at Lakeland? Well, I'm certainly not a tech whiz, but I think it should be looked into. In the long run, this could save Lakeland money and make our campus just a little bit greener.
Be the first to comment on this story