Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the break and are getting ready for an exciting new semester!
One of the most complex and important challenges facing IT organizations across many industries, and especially higher education, is to assess the costs, value, and sustainability of their technology services. We are particularly mindful of the rising costs of higher education, and we are committed to providing quality services that can directly enhance the educational experience and help students succeed.
As of January 13, 2014, print charges will be increased per the pricing model below:
- $0.09 per Black and White page
- $0.35 per Color Page
- Duplex printing discount will be discontinued
In 2013 OU Information Technology (OU IT) conducted an 8-month study of the costs associated with printing in OU campus learning spaces and computer labs. This study showed that the cost of printing in campus computer labs has increased over time beyond what current pricing supports. Due to rising costs associated with printing – including printers and consumables like toner and paper – you will notice an adjustment to per-page pricing starting in January 2014. This is the first time that campus printing charges have increased in over six years. This change was carefully considered and will allow OU IT to continue to provide the printing services that students and faculty have come to expect in a sustainable way moving forward.
Additionally, looking forward to August 2014, OU IT will continue to evaluate usage and costs, including the $10 printing credit with a long-term goal of preventing additional increases in per-print rates and lowering our campus’s printing demand and overall environmental impact.
We will continue to promote the use of digital submission and evaluate alternatives to traditional printing. Cutting down on printing costs will also allow us to reinvest in initiatives that are more impactful to the student experience such as proliferating digital content in curriculum, cutting-edge learning space design, and online and mobile learning tools.
To check your printing balance, print from your personal device, and view your environmental impact, visit http://printcharges.ou.edu
I can’t believe the duplex printing discount has been taken away. The difference in the cost of printing will really show, especially when you’re printing 200+ pages at a time. I am very disappointed in this change.
Can you let us know why you are printing 200+ pages at a time? We are looking into digital solutions to help cut costs and reduce our impact on the environment but need more information from students, faculty and staff on how we can help support this transition. Any information you can provide will help us as we look into alternatives to printing. Thank you for your comments & feedback!
Is the cost going to be $0.09 for every page regardless of double sided printing? Ex: Say printing 14 double sided pages so would it charge for 28 pages or 14 pages? My preference is single sided printing but I print double sided because it was cheaper.
Yes, the double-sided printing discount has been removed. The real costs associated with the printing service are based per print (not per sheet), so it costs OUIT the same amount whether or not you print one-sided or two. We still encourage students to utilize duplex printing in order to minimize our overall environmental impact.