Letter to the GW Community

As the start of another school year approaches, I would like to update you on the campus-wide implementation of a new printing policy. After years of thoughtful discussion and diligent research, George Washington University has made the decision to join many other universities in charging a nominal fee for printing services.

The cost of providing printing services has been rising each year as has the number of individuals utilizing those services. These two factors have seriously strained the budgets of departments offering student printing as a service. To manage this challenge, many other universities have instituted a system of charging up to $0.10 per printed side. Effective this fall, The George Washington University, in an effort to maintain quality computing services, will begin charging $0.07 per printed side.

There are two primary benefits to be achieved through this new policy: reduced waste and improved services. In January and June, The Hatchet ran articles highlighting the large amount frivolous printing that occurs from campus computer terminals. Reducing the amount of paper and toner that is used has significant advantages for the environment. Further, through cost recovery, our computing departments can better upgrade and maintain the high-quality computing services currently enjoyed by GW’s students and faculty.

Other universities have found charging a flat, low fee per printed side to be the most equitable solution for meeting high printing costs. Under this model, individuals can choose the quantity of pages they desire to print. High-volume print users will be charged for this volume, while those who print fewer documents will be charged less.

To ensure that this new policy is smoothly enacted, one printing system has been established across libraries and computer labs. This system will empower students and faculty to print only those jobs they have previewed and approved by swiping their GWorld card, the official identification card of The George Washington University. All print fees will be charged in GWorld “Debit Dollars”.

I encourage you to follow the link below to web pages detailing the University Printing Policies. From there, you can read about the different support paths available to students from each of our various computing departments.

http://printing.gwu.edu

We look forward seeing you on campus soon.

Donald Lehman,
Vice-President Academic Affairs