Petition calls for more printing for students

By Lauren Cliffe

More than 220 people have signed an online petition to return the campus’ student printing limit to $14.

Amanda Shaffer, a senior elementary education major who posted the petition on Change.org, said many students have already used their $7 of printing allowance and have more than two months worth of assignments left to go, according to the petition. The printing limit was established at the start of the fall semester.

“The majority of the student population prints every week, if not every day,” Shaffer said. “I want everyone to make sure they’re speaking up.”

Shaffer said she wants to collect 1,000-4,000 signatures.

Chief Information Officer Brett Coryell said returning the print quota to last year’s rate of $14 per student per semester would cost the university about $290,000.

Coryell said he encourages students to think of other programs the administration can cut should the quota be increased. The university will also look into the possibility of raising the technology surcharge by October to address the issue; however, “ultimately, it’s a student decision,” Coryell said.

Kristol Dicosola, junior occupational therapy major, said she used almost all of her $14 printing quota last semester even though she doesn’t live on campus.

“I don’t live on campus, so I don’t use it as frequently as someone who would live out here,” Dicosola said.

Dicosola said the administration should pull the necessary funds from lesser-used programs rather than raising fees for students, especially when tuition and fees are already “so high.”

This fall’s technology surcharge is $125 for students enrolled in six credit hours or less and $250 for students enrolled in seven credit hours or more.

“I don’t think that I would want to pay any more than I’m already paying,” Dicosola said.

Sophomore biology major Kelsey Jennings said increasing the print quota is a good idea because many students, herself included, are required to print notes on an almost daily basis for classes.

The cost of printing should be the responsibility of the university, Jennings said; but, if the funds aren’t available, she wouldn’t mind paying extra in her fees to raise the quota.

“If they added $7 on to the fees, I’m sure people probably wouldn’t even notice,” Jennings said.

Students can go to the online petition page to get more information on the proposed change, to add to the discussion or to electronically sign the petition.