New system prevents waste, encourages conservation

April 27, 2004 This spring, a new campus-wide Print System that may require a per-page charge will be installed for computers across campus. The system will be operational when students return for classes in August. In recent years, printers have been used more frequently, which has led to massive cost and waste of resources. The new Print System will create a fair, easy-to-use print process and will help to conserve paper, ink, and other resources.

Printing at OIT Labs and at the Libraries has increased dramatically in the past few years. From September 2003 to March 2004, 5.97 million pages were printed in OIT Labs.   During that same time period, 5.82 million pages were printed in the Libraries, for a total of nearly 12 million pages in just seven months. 12 million pages needs 1,536 trees to be produced and weighs 58.9 tons. To put that statistic in perspective, the average car weighs a ton and a half, about 3,000 lbs.

"I know the idea of additional cost is not going to be popular with students, said Chaz Molder, newly-elected SGA president. "But the volume of prints has increased astronomically. I am confident that the new Print System will be feasible and fair to every student."

University Administration has kept students involved and sought student input during all planning stages of the Print System initiative.  "There has been student representation on every committee and task force," Molder continued. "As a student I am proud that we have been able to have a voice and an impact on this planning."

"Once in place, I think the new Print System will be the best for students and the campus as a whole," said Stan Pinkleton, Executive Director of OIT Customer Technology Support, who is heading up the installation of the Print System. "The University can no longer afford the thousands of pages that are printed for non-academic use," he continued. "The new Print System will help encourage conservation and will make students more accountable for what they print."

Many Print System specifics have not yet been established. Those details will be distributed as soon as they are available. Once the new Print System is in place, a Web site and printed material will be created to explain the new printing process.

A variety of sources provide information about alternatives to printing, hints for printing responsibly, and best printing practices. Visit the OIT Labs Web site, or the UT Libraries Printing Alternatives Web site, for more information.

If you have any questions regarding the Print System, please contact Stan Pinkleton, 974-7025,
or Chaz Molder, 974-2377.