Two weeks after a heated Faculty Senate discussion involving a new university printing contract, faculty are waiting for a decision to be made on their latest resolution.
As a part of the Print Responsibly initiative, Ohio University has entered into a 5-year contract with ComDoc Inc., a printing firm, with the goal of reducing its overall printing costs. These costs include equipment, consumables, energy and service.
The firm was brought in to centralize printing in an effort to put more money back into the departments, said Stephen Golding, vice president for Finance and Administration.
In the first three weeks of Winter Quarter, student paper consumption dropped by an average of 62 percent under the new system, according to the university’s website.
Golding was originally invited to the heated senate meeting to discuss a lack of consultation with the faculty concerning the switch to ComDoc.
“Faculty are not happy when changes happen and they aren’t consulted,” said Joe McLaughlin, the senate’s chair. “Usually when we see uproar around an issue, it was a sign that there was a bad process in place.”
The faculty’s concern revolved heavily around their general lack of knowledge about the company and the lack of a backup plan if the new system were to fail.
“I would like to see an exit strategy if this is not as efficient as we thought,” said Charlotte Elster, a professor of physics and astronomy. “What if this is not what we expect a year from now, and we are already in this contract?”
Golding said OU is only in the beginning process of administering the system and will continue to survey and interview departments to specify their printing needs.
“There is no one single strategy for each department and college,” he said. “There is no one size fits all.”
The senate voted to send a resolution to executive vice president and provost Pam Benoit asking that if a department were to see an increase in cost from program, that it be exempt.
The resolution also asked that any future university-wide service or purchasing contracts gain approval of a significant portion of the affected department or school.
“At this point, she has heard the concerns and is working with … Golding and (the) deans to examine ways some of their concerns can be met,” said Ann Fidler, Benoit’s chief of staff.
Golding has continued to attempt to answer faculty questions and concerns, adding that the system is currently in place at nine other Ohio colleges and universities.
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