Print Management in the labs

We have installed PaperCut software in labs as a reminder to be green. For now, the system is being used as a way to track printing usage and to make students aware of how much they are printing.

Printing is an expense. While students do need to print out documents, there is still a lot of paper wasted on things like sending the same document to the printer multiple times, printing pages you really don’t need, printing color when black ink will do, or printing out things that you can read online. Take a look in the labs and you’ll often see the scrap paper just thrown into recycling.

Here's a scene from another college lab (click to enlarge).  We're probably not this bad.  Probably.

So, for now, I&TS has installed software called “PaperCut” on lab computers in Hines and the Library. When you log in, you will see a tally of the number of pages you’ve sent to the printer. Accounts start out with 300 pages; you’ll see the number get smaller when you print. The each sheet of paper is counted (one double sided sheet only counts as one), with color printing counting couting five sheets to reflect the extra cost. After each print job, your account will reflect the number of pages you have printed.

We are not actually charging money to students to print. The entire purpose is to make people aware of how much paper they are using and to think about being more environmentally conscious. Details on the systems, and on ways on how to save paper, can be found on the I&TS PaperCut Website.

We're baack!

The holiday break is over at Siena, and we're back to work.

It went pretty well. Nothing crashed (at least, not too badly) and few calls/e-mails to the helpdesk. Now, I&TS has a little time to get ready for the Spring term.

We're taking the weeks between classes to upgrade some of the computers in the labs. We've started in Hines 116; computers there now have upgraded memory, LCD monitors, and new desks (for some). Here's what they look like:

A few new things about the setup:

• The keyboard and mouse are in a drawer.
• The monitor is recessed to give you a full desktop to work on.
• There's a cable to plug in your USB device like a flash drive. No need to crawl around underneath.
• There's also a cable for Internet connection. You can plug in your laptop and be able to go on the network.
• Computers can't use these new cables to print documents.

We'll be putting this setup in other labs in the next few weeks.