Adrian,

You wrote:
_____________________________________________________________________
We are looking at changing the way our students pay for printing in the 
Learning Resources Centres.

At present we charge per sheet (5p B&W, 25p Colour). However this often 
proves hard to recover, as they try to slip out the door unnoticed.

We are considering making an annual charge of oe10, entitling students
to 
unlimited printing.  This would be paid when they become borrowers of
the 
LRC.

Obviously there are a number of issues, regarding students' ability to
pay 
(we are supposed to be an inclusive college), students on Part Time &
Short 
Courses and monitoring whether they have joined the LRC.

I should be interested to know what policy other colleges have adopted
and 
what experiences they have had.
________________________________________________________________________

When at Huddersfield Technical College, I set up an IT Centre in 1991.

To start with printing was free and unlimited.
Within one term the 3 laser printers available had done 20,000 copies
each!!

We discovered that students were using the printers for proofing as well
as final copies and that they were printing off many more copies than
they needed (to save on photocopying in the library).

We thus starting charging not to make money but just to limit the amount
of paper used and wear on the printers. I would thus be wary about
giving unlimited use,

The printouts were distributed from behind the desk and we introduced
printing strips which were punched as they used it. There is obviously a
staff cost in collecting the money, but it is possible to combine this
with student support. If you use work experience students, you can cut
the costs down further

Hope this helps.

Colin Harrison
Development Director
Solvet Ltd
Business & Technology Centre
Grange Road
Batley
WF17 6ER
Tel: 01924 500819
fax: 01924 471812
Email: [log in to unmask]
web: www.solvet.co.uk 



We then starting charging 
-----Original Message-----
From: Adrian Cobley [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 21 April 1999 14:08
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Student printing


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