Printing policy not well received
Students, professors say new plan infringes on class time, learning

By Chrissy Braden
Staff Reporter

Students and faculty said they are concerned with the new printing policy, which took effect Jan. 16.

The policy limits students to 200 free copies from campus printers before charging 8 cents a page.

Walt Williamson, engineering department chairman, said he understood TCU’s position in needing to cover some of the costs of printing, but wished that everything was still free.

“Students aren’t happy about it based on the quantity of things they have to produce,” Williamson said. “They expect to spend the allocated number of pages in the first couple of months.”

Kim Weber, manager of user services, said that some students have already gone over the 200 page limit.

“There are a total of 27 students to date who have gone over the limit,” she said.

Erin Munger/SKIFF STAFF Jack Brechtel, a sophomore premajor, waits for his copies to come through at a printer in the Mary Couts Burnett Library. After a student makes 200 print outs, the new policy charges 8 cents for each additional page.

Kris Shuman, a junior engineering major, said he used to print out more from campus computers, but will print more things out at home with the new policy in place. Shuman has to make print outs from the engineering lab for classes and can’t avoid printing on campus completely.

“We do a lot of computer analysis and have to turn in print outs of that for a grade,” Shuman said.

Maggie Thomas, associate professor of journalism said she now has to rethink what she wants students to print out because it counts against them.

“This is impeding learning and research skills,” she said.

David Edmondson, assistant provost for informational services, said the policy was added to labs open to all students, but was kept out of private labs, or labs limited to people within its department.

Dick Rinewalt, computer science department chairman, said he doesn’t use the policy in computer science computer labs, which are considered private labs. He said the new policy teaches students the wrong message.

“When writing a computer program, you need to print it out and trace mistakes by hand,” Rinewalt said. “(Limiting printing) defeats things we want students to learn in the course.”

He said he was nervous about the new policy and didn’t know how things would shake out.

“If we’re the only four labs not using the policy, then there’s pressure for students to print things out for their friends here,” he said.

According to an all-campus e-mail sent by Edmondson, there are 33 computer labs on campus that students can print from.

The policy requires students to enter their ID number into the computer before printing. Some faculty are worried this additional step will take away from instructional class time.

Thomas said a lab of 15 students would need 22 minutes of lab time just to print. She suggested students donate paper to their department instead of using the new policy.

Williamson said he has not dealt with the new system yet. But if the new printing process takes more class time, there should be an overall charge to each student each semester.

Edmondson said it is just now being determined if there are any issues with the policy.

“It’s too early in usage to make any judgment to see if (the policy) is working,” Edmondson said.

He said students unhappy with the policy should talk to faculty members, who should then bring student concerns to the chairman or chairwoman of the department.

Rich Winans, a junior English major, said he didn’t like the policy but didn’t think students could implement a change.

“We’re just students and that’s how the school sees us,” Winans said. “The school does whatever it wants.”

Chrissy Braden
l.c.braden@student.tcu.edu