Print Management Program Supports Sustainability Initiatives
It used to be that
students, faculty, staff and community members didn’t think twice when
they hit the print button on a Tri-C computer. But when patrons arrived
on campus for summer semester, they found they needed to be a little
more responsible.
“Basically, people were printing endless amounts of paper at the
Technology Learning Center,” said Chris Moir, Executive Director of
Campus Services and Retail Operations at Tri-C. “The bottom line was
the College wasn’t saving any money. It was time for a change, and this
one supports the sustainability initiatives at Tri-C.”
Moir couldn’t have been more on target when describing the Responsible
Print Management Program that was launched on May 27. The program is in
place in the TLC’s at all three main campuses, as well as the Eastern
Campus library and Metro Campus TILI.
Under the new plan, patrons are provided with 200 free page prints per
semester. When a user logs on to a desktop in the TLC, the software
will track the number of page prints. Unused page prints can’t be
transferred to the next semester. Those exhausting their quota will be
charged five cents for each additional print. The only method of
payment is the My Tri-C card or My Tri-C guest card, which can be
purchased from any of the AMC machines located on each campus.
“The Marketing and Communications Department did a great job last spring
of helping get the message out,” noted Moir. “By the time the program
was actually in place, everyone was already aware of it.”
No one can argue the results. There has been nearly a 33 percent
reduction in the number of pages printed College-wide since fall 2007.
“We only had 20 students exceed their 200-page quota during the summer,
so there is more awareness regarding what is being printed,” added Moir.
“Any revenue generated from those who pay to print is put toward the
College’s sustainability efforts over the next couple of years.”
Patrons can make the most of their free print quota by printing only the
pages needed; using copy and paste to copy Web information into a Word
document; saving electronic documents to a thumb drive or e-mail for
later viewing; reading over documents before printing to check for
accuracy and formatting; or making sure to log out of the computer so
others can’t use your print quota.
“About 99.9 percent of colleges and universities in the area have been
charging per sheet from the start,” said Moir. “We’re sensitive to the
fact that we’re a community college and that students, faculty, staff
and community members utilize our facilities at all three campuses.
We’re a resource for the community and the (Responsible Print Management
Program) is a fair solution for everyone involved.”