DePauw University of Greencastle, Ind. has changed its printing system to a new, more efficient procedure, according to The DePauw college newspaper.
Students can now walk up to any printer, swipe their campus ID, choose their print job, print it and go about their business. When printing account balances are low, an e-mail alert will be sent to the student.
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The new system also includes copiers that can be used with the ID cards the same way as printers. The copiers feature built-in USB ports that give students the option to scan pages and store them on a USB flash drive or sent in a PDF file via their student e-mail.
“Our focus in choosing this software was to the support campus sustainability issue, to be more efficient in our printing, and to have more control over what is printed,” said Carol Smith, chief information officer.
First it was Energy Wars, then the bottled water ban, now swipe and go.
DePauw University has taken yet another step towards improving sustainability on campus - Information Services has changed the printing system to a new, more efficient software.
Carol Smith, chief information officer, said the process of choosing new software took time and a lot of input from different staff, faculty and students. After eight months of investigation, DePauw finally chose Canon as the manufacturer of choice through the vendor Indiana Business Equipment.
"Our focus in choosing this software was to the support campus sustainability issue, to be more efficient in our printing, and to have more control over what is printed," Smith said.
After choosing to print, the user will be able to walk up to any printer, swipe their ID card, choose their job, print it, and go on, Lynda LaRoche, assistant director of instructional and learning services said. The first time the card is swiped, the person will have to type in their username and password to activate the account, but after that, it is just swipe and go.
Students with 20-plus characters in their names may experience a problem when first using the software and logging in, but this can be solved by typing in the first 20 characters of their username, instead of their entire username.
LaRoche said early reaction from faculty and staff was positive.
"I think once people get past the hurdle, they will get used to it," Smith said.
The new system also includes new features that all users can enjoy and benefit from. Most of the new printers come with built in copiers, that can be used with the ID cards the same way as printers. A USB slot has also been added to these new printers. A new feature the copier now includes is having the opportunity to scan pages, and have a PDF file sent to your account.
Also, when printing account balances are low, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to the user.
LaRoche and Smith both said this new system will take some time to get used to and by the beginning of spring semester, Printing Services will have stations out by printers to show users how to get acquainted with the new system.
If any user is experiencing any problems, they are advised to go to the Help Desk in the basement of the Union Building.
To install the new system to your mac or windows software, the website for step by step instructions is: http://tiny.cc/dpu_print.
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