Drake printers/copiers are leased from and maintained by Laser Resources Inc. (LRI). Our current lease period expires this summer and we are entering into a new agreement with LRI. As part of this lease renewal, we are re-evaluating campus needs and trying to more effectively manage printing costs.

A project team, made up of staff members from ITS, Student Services, Finance, and LRI representatives, meets weekly. In June, LRI staff held initial meetings with representatives across campus to discuss printing, scanning, and copying needs for their departments.

Through information gathered in these interviews, it was determined that Drake would be unable to reduce the number of devices as much as originally anticipated. As a result, Drake will be keeping some of the current fleet of devices in addition to leasing new ones. There will still be a reduction in the number of printers, but in a way that better aligns with departmental needs.

LRI is currently working on a proposal to take back to the project team. Once that proposal has been reviewed, follow up meetings will be held to inform departments of expected printer changes and the replacement timeline for their area.

More specific information on which devices will be in each location, and other changes, will be shared in future OnCampus articles.

The project team has created an initial Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page at drake.edu/its/printing. Additional questions and answers will be added as the project progresses and more information becomes available.

—Kris Brewster, ITS