The Shorthorn - Student Congress sends printing resolution to committee

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Student Congress sends printing resolution to committee

Written by Johnathan Silver, The Shorthorn senior staff

Tuesday, 02 February 2010 09:09 PM

Art history graduate Christa Tune, now working on her teaching certificate, waits at a printer Tuesday on the first floor of the Central Library. As part of their tuition, students are given a hundred dollars credit for printing at select locations on campus. (The Shorthorn: Michael Minasi)

After some students asked, “Can I Get My Money Back?” a Student Congress committee responded, “maybe.”

The resolution of the same name calls for the $100 printing allowance allotted to students’ Mav Express cards to be redeemable at other locations on campus.

Such places include the University Center food court and the Maverick Market.

During the SC student affairs committee meeting Tuesday night, a senator was assigned to research the resolution.

Research includes calling the appropriate professional staff associated with the resolution.

The senator’s findings are due Friday, Feb. 12.

Jennifer Fox, student affairs committee chairwoman, said she couldn’t tell this early in the process whether the resolution would make it out of committee. The resolution can be passed, killed or amended before reaching a general body for the vote.

According to the Office of Information Technology Web site, the allowance doesn’t have monetary value, but is only a credit that’s non-refundable and is replenished back to $100 at the beginning of a new academic year.

Papers printed in black-and-white are 10 cents each. Color papers have costs that vary by location.

“It’s not real money,” Fox said. “We don’t know how they’re going to take this resolution, but it’s going to be interesting.”

Timeline of events

What happened – Student Congress introduced a resolution calling for the $100 printing allowance to be redeemable for other purposes

What’s happening now – The resolution is being researched

What’s next – Findings will be reported to the committee on Feb. 16

Education senator Valorie Andrews, who sponsored the resolution, said she didn’t know the details of how officials delegated the print money, before lending support.

“Anytime we have a problem or don’t have the answer to something, we write a resolution,” she said. “And if we get a ‘no,’ students will know why.”

Andrews said she hopes that the resolution makes it to a vote and is passed by the congress’ general body. Even if there is a rule stating that the credit is not redeemable, students should have access to the unused credit, she said.

“Hopefully with the resolution, we might get that changed,” she said.

Kinesiology junior Richard Maceyra, who co-authored the resolution, said he didn’t know that students’ cards held the $100 printing allowance when he transferred to UTA last fall.

He said in his time on campus he noticed that many people don’t use all the print credit and should be allowed to spend it elsewhere.

“I’m not going to print a thousand sheets of paper,” he said. “Last semester I used about $25.”

He said if he has $75 left over and the credit is reset to $100, then the money is lost.

Maceyra said he would like the credit to be used for other charges students incur.

“It would be cool if I got a $50 ticket, and I had $50 left on the card,” he said. “They would just cancel each other out.”

The resolution will be discussed again at the next committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
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