Students in Schlosser Residence Hall have already noticed a change in their lobby: in-dorm print stations. Schlosser is home to the pilot print station, the tester that will determine the feasibility of having print stations in the dorms.
The station comes from a partnership between Residence Life and Information Technology Services. Ron Heasley, executive director of ITS, has been aware of the project’s potential for years, but it was the students of Schlosser that finally pushed the idea into actuality.
“I’m really excited about it,” Cody Miller, area coordinator for the Dell Community, said. “I think it’s going to meet a lot of needs for students.” According to Miller, the pilot station in Schlosser was installed to meet the specific request of students in the hall.
A listening session with the students of Schlosser, the Dean of Students and Associate Dean of Students made the need evident to Residence Life.
According to Heasley, the idea of having residential printers has been discussed on campus for a few years by both ITS and with Residence Life. Before this pilot, fears have been that the stations would be disrespected and broken, not lasting the semester. After the listening session with faculty members and students, the dean and associate dean went to ITS and told them about the request for residential printers in Schlosser.
The students of Schlosser, including both the Honors Program first-years and Partners in Engineering Living-Learning Community, seem to be reacting well to the program. The hall’s residents share a common opinion that the station is convenient and will be used.
Students are able to print at the station the same way that they would at any other station on campus; it is a fully functioning station with a network computer and an ID reader. Students are able to log into their account and print from their folders or a USB drive. They can also use the web print option through Papercut.
Papercut is a convenient way for students to print from personal computers; the web-based system allows students to log in and upload documents remotely and charge it to their student printing accounts. Papercut allows the students to print from any station using their student ID.
Previously, Schlosser residents had to walk to the express print station in Nicarry Hall, the High Library or the 24-hour express printing station Baugher Student Center.
The stations cost around $600 each and consist of two computers, one touchscreen, one ID card swipe, one monitor and, of course, one printer. The computers are repurposed from other locations to keep costs down. ITS pays for the toner and paper supplies for the station and regularly comes to check on the station. In the evening and on the weekends, residence assistants make sure that the paper is stocked along with their regular rounds.
Both Heasley and Miller say that the stations are worthwhile, both financially and in terms of effort in maintenance, should the trial prove successful. The expectations for the print stations are that the students will act respectfully towards them, and report any damage to RAs or to the ITS Helpdesk.
So far, the pilot program has been received well. Future plans, although not guaranteed, are that other residence halls, based on the students’ need, will also get residential printing stations. Both Residence Life and ITS are excited for the expansion of the project.
