Student Printing Policy

Chattahoochee Technology College provides printing resources in support of research and education with the use of computers and other instructional devices. To become more environmentally friendly, Chattahoochee Tech imposes printing limits on materials printed by students. Each enrolled credit student will have a set number of free prints, with the ability to purchase additional prints when the initial allocation is exhausted.

 

Chattahoochee Technology College provides printing resources in support of research and education with the use of computers and other instructional devices. To become more environmentally friendly, Chattahoochee Tech imposes printing limits on materials printed by students. Each enrolled credit student will have a set number of free prints, with the ability to purchase additional prints when the initial allocation is exhausted.

To eliminate excessive/abusive printing and become more environmentally friendly Chattahoochee Tech will implement printing limits on the printers for lab computers and public access. All actively enrolled Chattahoochee Tech students will have a printing account.

  • Each student’s Primary Balance will be set to 100 prints at the start of each semester.
  • All Primary Balances will expire and be deleted from the system at the end of each semester regardless of the balance. There will be no carry over to the next semester.
  • If a student has expended their Primary Balance in a given term, he/she may visit any of the College Libraries to purchase additional prints, which will be added to that student’s Paid Balance.
  • Non-refundable additional prints may be purchased in blocks of 100 only, at a cost of $10.00. These additional prints will be added to a student’s Paid Balance.
  • Paid Balances will remain with a student through his/her tenure at the college – unused Paid Balance prints will carry over from term-to-term.
  • Once a student graduates or leaves the college for any reason for one year (three consecutive semesters), the non-refundable Paid Balance will be cleared (set to zero).
  • Some Chattahoochee Tech guest and public accounts will have limited printing capabilities in the Libraries, Success, and Career centers.

Student’s print accounts will be tracked through a central database. When a student prints, a pop-up on their Windows System Tray will inform them if it has been sent successfully; the pop-up will also show the remaining prints balance (combined count of the Primary Balance and any Paid Balance) . The students must be sure they have enough print credits in their balance to print.

Fees

If a student reaches his or her allocated limit, and would like to purchase more, they may do so by visiting any of the College Libraries. Additional prints may be purchased in blocks of 100. Primary Balance Limits are reset at the end of each semester. Paid Balances will carry over. Once paid, no refunds for unused balances can be made.

Penalties

Violations of these policies incur the same types of disciplinary measures as violations of other Chattahoochee Tech policies or state or federal laws, including criminal prosecution. Chattahoochee Tech reserves the right to amend this policy at its discretion. In case of amendments, users will be informed appropriately.

FAQ

Why did Chatt Tech implement a printing quota?

  • Reduce waste and promote environmental responsibility and sustainability – currently approximately 30% of the paper printed in the labs is not claimed by users or is immediately discarded
  • Reduce paper and toner usage and waste in student computing labs

How do I find out how much I have in my free print quota and declining balance?

Log into a classroom or student accessible computer, click on the "Printing Information" Tray Icon to check your total balance.

Can I add funds to my declining balance?

Yes, if a student has expended their Primary Balance, they may visit any of the College Libraries to purchase additional prints.

Can I stop a print job before it is complete if I realize that I no longer want what is printing?

Once you have sent a job to the printer, it cannot be stopped. Be sure to verify the number of pages you have sent to the printer before printing it. If, for any reason (e.g. paper jam), there is a technical problem, inform your Instructor or a staff member and contact the Student Help Desk.

What happens if there are not enough prints in my balance?

You will not be allowed to print the job. You will receive a pop up on the lower right hand corner of the desktop stating "exceeded pages to print the job".

What happens to free print credit (Primary Balance) at the end of the semester?

The Primary Balance will be zeroed out the day after final exams each semester. The non-refundable Paid Balances will carry over from semester to semester until used or until the student leaves the college for one year for any reason, at which time, the Paid Balance will be zeroed out.

What do I do if my print job is smudged and unusable?

In rare circumstances, the print job may experience a problem and a page or pages may not print properly. Adjustments to accounts will be made only under the following situations:

  • There was a printer malfunction and the print was never delivered or is damaged and unusable.

Only Technology staff with proper authorization will be allowed to make adjustments to a print account. Students who encounter a printing problem and would like to request an adjustment must contact the Student Helpdesk at helpdesk@students.chattahoocheetech.edu. The email must originate from the Chattahoochee Tech student email system and must include the student’s name, student ID (900#), and description of the issue. Adjustments to the print account can be made between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday, when the college is open.

How can I reduce my printing?

  • Use web browser bookmarks to save material you are interested in rather than printing them.
  • Email yourself URLs of web sites you are interested in rather than printing them.
  • Use the print preview feature of applications to verify output layout of documents which you are frequently updating. Only print when you are satisfied with the final result.
  • When making changes or corrections to a document, only print the page that contains the corrections instead of reprinting the entire document. If you are unsure how to do this, check with a staff member at the Computer Lab Service Desk.
  • If you must print a PowerPoint presentation, consider printing 3 to 6 slides per page. This will also speed up the printing process.
  • If your print job does not print, don’t resend it. There may be many other jobs ahead of yours in the queue or the printer may have run out of paper. If you keep resending your documents to the printer, multiple copies will be printed later and they will be deducted from your prints balance.
  • When you leave a computer system, be sure to log out. If you leave yourself logged in, anyone using the computer after you will be able to use your prints balance.

*Revisions effective June 6, 2013