The UPJ Information Technology Center has a new management system this semester.
Jeffrey Sernell, UPJ Information Systems Director, said the system allows students to know the number of pages they have printed under their quota.
“Just as normal, the students have always had a quota, the printing they can do, the software just allows us to provide more information so they more easily know how much they have left to print.” said Sernell.Ralph Miller, Technology Service coordinator, said the system is also more secure to students’ accounts.
“It makes a little more secure for the students because, before, without the system, if you walk away from the computer without logging out, someone else can walk up and print using your ID,” said Miller.
“Now, you have to authenticate, you have to log in to the print server using your password so even if you forget to log out the machine they can’t print using your ID and they can’t use your quota,” said Miller.
Sernell said a introduced the new color printing system also has been introduced.
“The color printing that we want to offer as an additional service so that it will be easier for students to use. Do color printing and pay for it from their ID card,” said Sernell.
Miller said while, last year, the only lab that allowed for color printing was in Blackington, now students can send their documents to a Blackington pay station from any computer lab and pick them up at the pay station.
Miller also said students can access color printing 24 hours.
“Whenever the lab itself is open 24 hours, we have a help desk in that location.” said Miller.
Miller said color printing was available only through the labs in Blackington, the lab in Engineering and Science Building and the Academic Success Center lab,”
“All you do just come up to the Blackington Hall and pay for it there and print right there,” said Miller.
Sernell also said the machines are close to each other.
“We have clustered a couple machines together,”
Sernell said Blackington machines that include a color printer, and a station that allows students to add cash to their ID cards, and pay for printing.
“They can really just go to that one location even they have never used ID card for vending before,” said Sernell.
Taylor Schall and Lauren L’ Herbier, pre-business major students, said they don’t like the tracking system that tracks not only the uota but also the printed document’s name.
“I don’t like it because they really track what we print.” said Schall.
“Because it is like the exact number,” said L’ Herbier, “I don’t like it very much.”
Steven Beiler, sophomore psychology major, said the system is not necessary.
“I don’t think it is very necessary. Actually you have to type the password just to print the paper,” said Beiler. “I think you just print out whatever you want if you need to, and you know the limit amount.”
Chazz Williams, communication major said she was concerned about added time to print.
“It is slower now. The computer labs are hectic, each printer room you go to is hectic. It just a hassle. It takes a lot more time,” said Williams.
“Usually you can go through very quickly, just go print and get ready to go to class.
“Because most of the time, I forget to do it,” said Williams, “It is new and usually you will just type your name, your password and you print, and you come back to see, it hasn’t printed yet.”
Victoria Kuntz, pre-business major freshmen, said she concerned about the cost.
“I don’t understand why they do it (add a printed tracking page to each print job), because it is kind of expensive,” said Kuntz.
Daniel Harmon, chemistry senior, said there were both good side and downside.
“It seemed they never kept track of pages before and now they really do and kind of make sure you think about what you are printing.” said Harmon.
“For the school it is probably a good side, because they can really control how much you are printing.” said Harmon. “For us, if you have more than 900 pages (a semester) that’s kind of the downside.”
Matthew Slavin, computer science major sophomore and UPJ Information Technology Center Help Desk attendant, said the new color printing system is convenient.
“I think it makes things much easier,” Salvin said of an ability to add cash to ID cards at the print site when a student used to have to go to the library or Business Office to add cash.
“That would make it easy because normally it is depending on the office being open.” said Slavin, “and now, the overnight lab, it will be a lot easier for people to get
color printing wherever they want.”
Slavin also said the new printing system helps everybody.
“It makes everybody more knowledgeable and they can keep track. What time of the date the printing was down to and finding out what they are printing.” said Slavin.
Katherine Bregruan, a former student who used to work in the Information Technology Center, said the tracking system prevents people from wasting paper.
“Honestly, I know people can come in and print 500 pages and never run out of paper,” said Bregruan. “Now it says you print the PowerPoint one slide at a time, two hundred slides, you really have to think about how much you print out.
“Because once it is out (the quota), it is out.” said Bregruan.