Every high school senior who applies to Elon submits a completed application, a high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores and a completed counselor evaluation form. On top of that, most apply for financial aid, scholarships or a Fellows program, which involve separate forms that must be filled out.

That’s a lot of paper. The amount doubles when the forms arrive at Elon, because they are then photocopied and kept in the countless folders that fill the file cabinets in the Office of Admissions.

Soon, this system will change. In keeping with Elon’s sustainability plan, the university recently purchased a document management system that will drastically decrease the amount of paper used on campus.

The new software, called Fortis, will store millions of documents electronically, from student applications to alumni information. The program was purchased this month and should be implemented in January.

The Office of Admissions will be one of the first to receive the new software. According to Chris Fulkerson, assistant vice president of technology, it is the office most in need of a new storage method.

“Admissions has been asking for this for a while now,” Fulkerson said. “They need office space instead of filing space.”

Zach Stein, a junior who works in the Admissions Office, agreed.

“The new system is going to save a lot of time and space,” he said. “Everything is cramped in the admissions office right now.”

Once the system is implemented, student applications will be scanned directly into a computer. Each student who applies will have his or her own file, accessible only to certain university officials.

As additional documents like letters of recommendation and transcripts are received, they will be scanned into the same file.

Fulkerson said the software and its installation will cost the university just under $100,000, but he thinks that it will pay for itself in three to four years in the cost of paper alone.

“That may even be a conservative estimate,” he said. “We expected the print management system to pay for itself in about three years, but it only took one and a half.”

Fulkerson said the document management software will work well with the Pharos printing system by helping to save paper.

He added that sustainability goals played a large part in the university’s decision to purchase the Fortis system.

In general, Fulkerson thinks the system will be well-accepted. The only problem he foresees is the difficulty of breaking old habits.

“If we do the setup process correctly, technically I think it’ll work fine,” he said. “It’s the culture that we’re changing that will be more difficult.”

There will be a training program to help office workers become comfortable with the software once it’s in use.

The School of Education will also use the Fortis System with contract management.

Reporter: Whitney Bossie - 10/24/07