This document focuses primarily on the printing in publicly accessible computer rooms managed by Information Technology under its Lab Management unit. The report excludes analysis of computer rooms operated by departments other than Information Technology and those that are restricted from public access. From the data summarized in this report, the campus can expect a growing demand for printing and associated increase in support costs. The information age and the shift to more on-line accessible documents has led to students printing more every year. Furthermore, the absence of hard quotas or charges for printing has resulted in possible indiscriminate printing.
Several universities face the same problems.
Their solutions for cost recovery have been varied with some charging per page and others charging a flat rate for a specific quota. Campus departments have primarily used access limits to limit the number of people who can print. Several options were presented along with specific advantages and disadvantages. The Division of Information Technology hopes that the campus can review the information presented here and determine the most appropriate course of action. Contents Background Costs of Printing Causes of Printing Comparison to Other Universities Options for Cost Recovery Background Historically, Information Technology has supported free printing in the computer rooms.