Paid printing not unreasonable

To the annoyance of many students, the University began to charge students for printing this summer because of the rising costs associated with providing the service for free.

Students of economics call the concept the "tragedy of the commons," but it does not take an economics degree to know people will abuse anything that is offered for free. The consumption of $80,000 worth of toner and paper in just five days at the end of last semester was a scandalous waste of resources. Now that printing is no longer free, students will surely be more careful about what they print, which will benefit the University, the environment, and students. University and library funds are better spent on books and other academic resources than frivolous printing.

To be sure, not all printing is frivolous. With the administration urging professors to obtain permission before distributing photocopied articles, an increasing number are using the web to deliver material to their students. Students, in turn, often print the material before they read it. Many arguments against the pay-for-printing policy cite this trend.

But students must consider fee-based printing in context. Tufts is one of the last schools in the area to force students to pay for printing, and increased use of online resources will likely reduce the amount of money students spend on photocopied packets that often include articles many never read. The University is also offering 100 pages of free printing so that students with modest printing needs will not incur extra fees, at least not this semester.

The University's resources are clearly limited and no student can expect to receive an education here without paying for some extras. The pay-per-print policy is needed to curb printing volume and defray costs.