Computer Lab will charge for copies
Campus Times
February 14, 1997
In an effort to keep costs reasonable and to deter wasteful use of paper
in Founders Hall Computer Lab, University of La verne students, faculty
and staff will be charged a fee for each page they print beginning Tuesday.
Non-electronic copy cards will be available to purchase for $3 and cards
are good for up to 100 copies. Copies average 3 cents each and cards will
be marked by a computer lab attendee after each use.
Dr. Jay Jones, Academic Computing department chair, said about the fee,
"It's a matter of economics."
Dr. Jones said his department has no money allocated for paper in the
Computer Lab, with the exception of $111 for departmental use.
In response, Dr. Jones said, "Our budgeting has been very unconventional."
The Department has used money from other areas within its budget and
has taken numerous boxes of paper from the University's copy room to cover
student's excessive use.
"I've seen people printing out massive reams of things which I
knew that they were not going to use. I've seen people print out a whole
extra copy of their paper because of one mistake," said Dr. Jones.
Peter Ryan, micro-computer specialist, discovered that one teacher from
another college had been using ULV's computer lab and printing up numerous
copies. That teacher, Ryan witheld the name and school, printed about 80
copies of her class syllabus and left them behind in the computer lab.
"That was kind of the final straw," said Ryan.
According to Ryan, most colleges within a 100 mile radius charge for
copies in their computer labs.
Mt. San Antonio Community College has been charging for copies printed
in the computer lab for four years.
"We take their printer cards away from them as they walk in,"
said Grace Smith, network support supervisor at the college.
She added that students at Mt. SAC do not complain and make copies at
home if they need to.
Mt. SAC charges between 4-6 cents per copy, depending on where the copy
card is bought.
Freshman John Orquiza, who uses the Computer Lab often, said "It
should be free for students to copy, but people off campus should pay."
Dr. Jones explained that he would be happy for anyone to take a look
at the Academic Computing budget and see that they are not being wasteful
with their spending and that the money for paper is not there.
"The bottom line is that money is getting tight in the University
all over and our goal is to provide the necessary resources to support the
education process," said Dr. Jones.