Planner going green, printing getting lean
September 8, 2015
Two big changes that have taken place this fall are the switch to the student digital planners and the decrease in printing allotments.
Due to a budget cut of 35 percent, the free student planners provided by the university have been moved online. Printing allotments have also changed on all IU campuses. Black and white sheets now cost four cents and color sheets cost 25 cents.
Seuth Chaleunphonh, IU Southeast’s dean of students, stated that a flat student activity fee for the past three years and the declining enrollment led the Student Life Committee to make the choice to cut the budget for student planners.
According to Chaleunphonh, in 2013, 65 percent of students used the free planners. By 2014, that number fell to 55 percent.
Serey Eav, undecided freshmen, was told he would receive a physical planner before classes started this fall. Eav was later informed through an email sent out to all students that the planners were going to be online.
If students still want the option of a free planner they can print out an 8.5 x 11″ weekly calendar. Students will have to use their personal printing allotment to print this on campus.
Eav said he is not using the new virtual planner and had to spend money to get a physical one.
Special education and earth space freshman Genesis Blair said she looked at the new one being offered but said it looked too difficult. Blair said she hopes that next year there will be an option to either use the digital planner or a physical copy of the planner.
Alyssa Hendershot, business senior, said she used the planners every previous year.
“It was a great free resource for students, and the new virtual planner is time-consuming now,” Hendershot said.
Another option Hendershot said would be great is if students ordered the planners in advance, so the campus only orders the amount needed instead of overspending.
Smartphones, tablets and laptops were a factor in the switch to the new digital planners. With the switch online it will also help reduce the use of printing and paper costs.
All IU Campuses have changed the printing system and how they measure print allotments. The change equalizes the way the printing system and allotments works on IU campuses.
Executive Director of IT at IU Southeast, Nick Ray, said he hopes to see the adjustments make the students of all IU Campuses equal.
Students pay a tech fee when enrolling for classes which covers availability, labs, lab consultants, computers, Wifi and printing.
Staff printing is instead based on a budget for each department. The charge comes per click when staff members print any black and white sheet. The budget covers lease and consumables as well as the resources needed to print.
Ray said one of the biggest things students don’t know about is the usefulness of the IU Knowledge Base. Ray said it is a good resource and wished that students knew about the resource offered.
Ray discussed how students can print from mobile devices, laptops, and other devices. Students can send an attachment to print@iu.edu for black and white sheets and printc@iu.edu for colored printing.
Ray said he wants students to be aware that sending attachments to print can be done on campus and off campus. Students can send their attachments and the attachments will stay in the database for about four hours. Doing this allows students to come from home or any location and to simply swipe their U Card and print without having to log onto a computer just to print documents.
Printing allotments are kept track of via dollar amounts, so students are less confused due to color prints costing 25 cents and black and white sheets costing four cents. Students receive print allotments based on the credit hours they are taking with the max allotment being 26 dollars.
Hours for Printing Allotment
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1-3 credit hours = $6.50
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4-6 credit hours = $13.00
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Full Time = $26.00
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Admitted but not enrolled = $2.00
