As syllabuses and required readings pile up during the first days of class, students at Binghamton University are facing printing problems.
Long lines formed at the Glenn G. Bartle Library last week after students ran into a number of issues while trying to print. The problems are linked to an updated printing system implemented over the summer by BU’s Information Technology Services (ITS).
The new system, Print@Binghamton, was meant to allow students to print by emailing print@binghamton.edu and using University web networks and their BU ID cards rather than limiting students to printing only from computer labs.
According to students who work in the library at the ITS Help Desk, the new system utilizes an ID card scanner to connect PODS accounts’ printing jobs to the printer’s queue.
“[With the old system], you could print from the library computer and then log in to a separate computer that was connected to the printer and print that way,” one student said. “Now, instead of where you logged in to the computer to print, you just have to tap your student ID on the scanner that is sitting on top of the printer.”
According to Help Desk employees, there could be a few reasons for the issues seen this week. Some students may not have had the money for the print quota on their account, their cards might not be connected to the computer accounts properly and some large printing queues were going onto the network, slowing down the system.
Additionally, earlier in the week, only Apple computers were working with the new system, rendering over half of computers in the library inactive. That issue was fixed on Friday, but others persist.
Abigail Koerwitz, a junior majoring in psychology, said that after spending time in line to print, the computer alerted her that she was not yet given a print quota.
“I just left after that — I couldn’t believe that I’d come down to the library to print and I wasn’t even able to,” Koerwitz said. “How could I not have money to print? It was the first day of the semester.”
Some waited even longer. Taylor Falter, a junior majoring in English, only realized how long printing would take after queuing up for the printers.
“I had to print something for class, and I was waiting in line for over a half hour,” Falter said. “The printing itself was super slow, one page would take over five minutes to print. I didn’t have the time to wait around for every single person’s stuff to take a half hour. I had to go to class, so I left before my papers were anywhere close to being printed.”
After two days of students facing printing issues, ITS chose to temporarily bring back the old system, Pharos, and delegated some printers to Pharos while others continued to run on the new system. ITS announced the changes via a B-Line statement on Friday.
“ITS is aware of the issues with the new printing system that was implemented over the summer and is working out the bugs,” the statement read. “You will be notified when the new system is fully operational. We will also refresh the print credits for the semester on the new system.”
However, some students are still questioning why the system wasn’t tested before the first week of classes.
“I find it strange that the company [that] installed the system didn’t test it during the summer,” said one Help Desk employee. “They had two months to test it out, but the system wasn’t fully implemented until a few days before classes began. Those in ITS do not work directly with those who put the system in Bartle, so we don’t know what exactly the problem is or who to ask. We are working to fix the new system, and will eventually remove the Pharos printing system completely.”
Like many students who were accustomed to the Pharos system, Seunghye Yang, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she was annoyed when she went to print her syllabuses as the last thing she expected was for the library printers to be different.
“I think the old method was honestly way better, and far easier to understand,” Yang said. “This new system is just going to overwork the printers even more, especially during test seasons where the printers are extremely busy. Binghamton University needs to put their money to fixing Bartle and other areas that are overlooked, and maybe push the construction that’s just making campus look better for brochures.”