3. A Memo Encouraging College Students to Conserve Paper Assume that you are the director of information technology in a small business college that has several computer labs that students use both to learn business applications and to complete their assignments. Each lab contains a networked printer that students can use for printouts. During the last several years, you have become concerned with the amount of wasted paper and unnecessary printing taking place in the labs.

During random checks of the printouts left behind in recent months, you have observed multiple printouts of resumés containing the same error, PowerPoint presentations printed with one slide to a page, and spreadsheets containing only a single number.

Over the last year you have tried various approaches to reduce printing costs.

You have already tried restricting the amount of paper put into printers each day, posting signs by the printers encouraging conservation, and asking instructors to monitor students’ printing habits more closely. None of these measures has caused a significant drop in the amount of paper being wasted.

Printing costs have reached an intolerable level—

both in terms of the expenses associated with paper and printing supplies and in terms of the environmental damage caused by such waste.

Therefore, you have decided to implement a different solution. Beginning next term, all printing from labs will be charged to the students, just as it is now for photocopying. Here are the new procedures:

■ Students will receive 50 pages of free printouts at the start of each term.

■ When printing, students will have to enter their passwords and log on to their college accounts.

■ Students’ print balances will be recorded on their college accounts.

■ Cost of additional printouts: $10 for 100 pages.

■ Printouts can be purchased at the college bookstore and added to their accounts.

■ Students who have used all their printing credits will not be able to print until they have purchased more credits.

■ Bookstore hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday.

An email has already been sent to all students in the college informing them of the new printing procedures. Many students do not use their college email accounts on a regular basis so you will also be posting the information in a memo on the bulletin board next to each printer. It is not necessary to use all the information above, but you will have to explain the new procedures carefully so that people do not lose the ability to print. You will need to win support for the new procedures (or at least minimize complaints) so your announcement should present the information in a positive way.