J7: Printer Policy

Responsibility for Maintenance: Information Technology Services

Date of Most Recent Changes: June 15, 2021

I. Policy Statement 

• OCC is committed to efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective business and teaching practices. Consequently, given advances in electronic communications, efforts should be made to print less and share more. 

• The Learning Management System (LMS) and Office 365 offer new, more efficient and sustainable ways to disseminate information and receive course work-product from students.  

• Printing should be limited to what is essential for administration and academic instruction where no alternatives are available, and to perform and compete College business needs (e.g. reports or forms for submission to Federal or State agencies) 

• OCC students should be encouraged to submit assignments as a ‘shared’ document or uploaded to LMS or other designated area. Faculty and instructors should grade and comment on assignments through PDF markup, using ‘tracking’ and comment editing features, among other digital means.  

• Administrators should share documents and information for meetings and save printing for only large and unwieldy documents. 

• Issues such as accessibility or printing of confidential documents should be evaluated within the department to consider what options might meet these needs. Many networked devices, including printers, copiers and multi-function units have secure printing capability.

II. Reason for Policy 

This policy is intended to reduce unnecessary costs, waste, print, and paper. It adheres to SUNY's Print Reduction Initiative and represents a cost-effective and sustainable approach toward the use of campus resources. Additionally, an emphasis of printing less and sharing more will allow students to avoid unnecessary costs and the need to find campus printers which are often used to print multiple drafts. 

III. Applicability of the Policy 

This policy applies to the networked printers purchased by OCC.

IV. Contacts 

V. Procedures 

• Printers, peripherals and related supplies are purchased and owned by the College. Departments are responsible for the costs of consumables (paper, toner, etc.) for their local printing use. Only networked, high-capacity printers will be used. No College resources will be committed for stand-alone printers and supplies. 
• Specialty network printers vary in scope and specification from the campus base models. These printers must be justified and budgeted by the requesting department and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. 
• Purchase requests for printers must be reviewed and approved by Information Technology Services.
• Duplicating should be considered to address high volume, color, and/or specialty print needs. 
• Information Technology Services and Management Services is available to answer questions and assist in the selection of appropriate and cost effective printing solutions.

Approved by the President June 29, 2009

Updated and approved by the President January 31, 2011

Updated and approved by the President June 19, 2015

Updated and approved by the President April 3, 2017

Updated and approved by the President June 15, 2021