The printing policy enacted at the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year needs to be reevaluated. At the time, the arguments in favor of a new pay-as-you-go printing policy made sense. Paper has a cost and the College's efforts to make students aware of that cost is understandable.
Bowdoin has made a concerted effort to reduce its carbon footprint.
I for one am much more conscious of doing the simple things that make a difference than I was three years ago. I try to turn off lights and televisions when I'm not using them, I don't use a tray at the dining halls, and I take shorter showers than I used to.
The printing policy, which allocates $60 per semester to students, was an admirable way of reminding students that using less paper is also good for the environment.
But in practice, it leaves much to be desired.
The goal of the new printing policy, as stated by the College, is to reduce paper waste, but the underlying assumption that students were wasting paper prior to this policy implementation is misguided.
Without important details on the reasons some students were printing more—like what courses they were enrolled in and what their majors were—I'm not convinced forcing those students to start paying for their own paper will reduce paper waste.
The goal should be to encourage students to print more efficiently, but the printing policy results in students deciding not to print at all or to print in microscopic font sizes, both of which, I would argue, hinder the primary goal of any college: giving its students everything they need to get the most out of their learning experiences.
If you're a history major like me or have courses that require deep engagement with the text you are reading, you know having a hard copy of your readings on hand—one you've been able to mark up and take notes on—is critical.
Why should students who needed more than $60 a semester be penalized? Is their academic experience somehow less valuable than that of their peers?
The truth is every student at Bowdoin has different printing needs, and much of the discrepancy is contingent on the types of courses students are taking. Giving every student the same amount of printing funds, while fair, is not efficient.
Again, I want to emphasize the fact that I support the College's effort to increase awareness among the student body of the environmental cost of using paper.
I believe Bowdoin can accomplish its goals without forcing students to compromise their classroom experience because of concerns about running out of printing money.
If Bowdoin wants every student to be able to print everything his or her courses require without paying out of pocket, why not ask professors and departments to estimate the amount of paper each student will use for a given course?
This would ensure every student has enough printing money to cover their needs each semester and would help limit non-academic printing.
Another solution is to give every student a set amount of printing funds and leave it up to individual professors to request additional printing funds for students enrolled in their courses.
At the very least, the College should remember what its primary concern is: the education of its students.
Compromising that, even slightly, in an effort to achieve other institutional goals should be avoided at all costs.