Elon’s new print management system has saved thousands of dollars, more than seven million sheets of paper and a significant amount of energy.

The 2006-2007 academic year marked the first full year that the Pharos Print Management System was used on campus. Originally implemented to help cut the cost of paper and toner, this system has been enormously successful.

During the 2004-2005 academic year, Elon students printed more than ten million sheets of paper.

Assistant Vice President for Technology Chris Fulkerson said, “We had to find a way to control the waste. And not just the waste of paper, but the waste of money that we were just throwing away.”

Fulkerson met with members of Elon’s faculty and various student organizations in order to find a way to prevent excessive printing.

During the summer 2005, Fulkerson decided to purchase the Pharos Print Management System because of its compatibility with Blackboard.

Spring semester 2006 served as a trial run for the new system. Although students had to swipe their Phoenix cards in order to print, they were not yet charged for their use of paper.

Most colleges and universities that have used Pharos noticed a 30 percent reduction in printing when the system was initially implemented.

In its first semester, Elon’s reduction was more than 50 percent. Last year, Elon students printed three million sheets of paper. This reduction will save Elon over $64,000 annually in paper and toner costs and will also comply with Elon’s new sustainability plan.

Currently, every student is allowed 500 sheets of paper per year—or, according to the Pharos system, $100 in “print dollars.” Last year, this proved to be more than enough: on average, each student used $23.91 in print dollars for the year.

Any printing that goes beyond the allotted $100 automatically pulls money from Phoenix cash. After talking to SGA, Fulkerson decided to allow the printer money from each semester ($40 for fall semester and winter term, $30 for spring semester and $30 for summer term) to roll over for the entire year. In mid-August, the remaining balance on each student’s account is erased and the cycle starts over.

Because certain majors require students to print more than others, this new system ensures that those students who print excessively pay for the paper themselves rather than spreading the cost throughout the community.

“I’ve heard people say, for example, that political science majors have to print more than math majors,” Fulkerson said. “Most of the articles that political science majors print replace textbooks. They end up paying about $5 for extra printing and I’ve never heard of a textbook that only costs $5.”

Senior Sara Schilke agreed. “We only have to chip in for paper if we exceed our amount,” she said. “I think it’s a great system.”

Fulkerson has also provided a safeguard for those students who may have financial difficulties paying for extra paper.

“Three sheets of paper or less goes through the system without charging. Those who don’t have any printer money left and who don’t have Phoenix cash can always print three pages at a time,” said Fulkerson.

Although Fulkerson is currently researching ways to make printing even cheaper, such as using the library’s photocopiers to print, the system has already made a significant impact.

“The Pharos System has been a great success,” he said. “I think we’ll keep using this model.”

Reporter: Maggie Griffiths - 09/05/07