Do Your Part as an Administrator
Do Your Part...
As An Administrator
Current budget challenges require us all to do our part to reduce costs. Printing and photocopying offer substantial opportunities for reductions - with very little downside. As an administrator, there are many ways you can contribute…
Resources
Examples
Here are some instances of wasteful practices on campus and recommended solutions.
Workshops and Seminars
The UFCN, University Relations, and the Green team are hosting workshops and seminars on these initiatives.
Tips
Reducing Copy Costs
Follow these simple steps to reduce the number of copies and printouts in your unit and reduce costs.
Contact
For more information, contact your unit's Green Team representative or your communications professional.
What Do I Need to Do?
- Analyze your college or unit’s printing habits by performing a printing and photocopying analysis (see example from COE). The analysis will help you identify opportunities for savings, and set a baseline for measuring your progress. Your F&A staff should have received a template for that purpose from UF CFO Matt Fajack.
- Educate your faculty and staff concerning the need to reduce printing and photocopying costs. In addition to the services provided by this web site, PowerPoint presentations can be scheduled for staff meetings and other appropriate venues, and work sessions are available to cover each of the cost-reduction programs in more detail. You should also have a “Green Team” captain in your college or unit that can answer questions and implement cost-saving and sustainability programs.
- Support your faculty and staff in the implementation of these initiatives. Conservation in these areas is more than a budgetary exercise – it makes us all better UF and global citizens. Excessive printing and photocopying costs often result from nothing more than bad habits. By letting your staff and faculty know that you support these initiatives, they will be encouraged to do their part, as well.
- Desktop publishing software has made us all graphic designers – BAD graphic designers. Many publications on campus communicate poorly and compromise the image of the university. They are also being reproduced in ways that are unnecessarily expensive and wasteful. Encourage faculty and staff who produce printed publications to review all materials with your college or unit’s communications office to ensure money is being spent wisely. If you do not have a publications professional in your area, a list of services is provided.
- Much angst has been expressed as a result of the trustee’s directive to convert appropriate print publications to web, but many have already been successfully converted, and many more should be. This is perhaps the greatest opportunity to reduce print spending quickly, with little or no negative impact on communications. Guidelines are provided on this site to assist in determining if a publication is a good candidate for conversion. Insure that a thoughtful review is done on each of your current print publications, and authorize the conversion of any that meet the guidelines.
- Other possibilities for saving include adding a fee to offset copy costs when the distribution of printed materials for a class, for instance, is unavoidable; and converting tenure and promotion packs from bundles of printed packets to online submissions.
The University has designed these programs to provide opportunities to save without compromising communications. We can do our part by breaking old habits, learning about alternatives and implement new, better ... and permanent ways of reproducing and distributing information on campus.
What Are the Benefits?
- Contributes to our budget reduction goals
- Reduces the consumption of office supplies — not just paper, but also toner and other copy-related products.
- Reduces wear and tear on copiers and printers, extending their operating life and saving maintenance expenses.
- Reduces postage expenses by distributing news and information online rather than through the mail.
- Allows more timely and up-to-date communications. When publications are posted on the web, updates and corrections can be made quickly and easily.
- Helps create a leadership image for UF among peer universities
- Helps save the planet. By reducing the amount of materials you print — and using certified printers for those publications you still produce — you can save trees and help UF meet its sustainability goals.
The Road Ahead
Reducing our reliance on paper will take more than simply refraining from using our copy machines. Rather, it will require a cultural shift. As an administrator, you can contribute by supporting and encouraging these and future programs.
And while these initiatives are intended to help us immediately reduce printing and photocopying costs, they are also important to the long-term financial operations of the University, and to the sustainability of our campus.
