With a possible quota increase already in talks for next semester, the time for grumbling about the current print quota has passed. By now, most students have likely realized they can get by fine enough with their 100 page allotments, or that they can manage alternatives till next semester when things may possibly change. Especially considering the College of Communication’s paperless ordinance, it’s time for all of campus ‘- administration, faculty and students alike ‘- to get used to a digital classroom protocol, because printing, though convenient, is indubitably outdated. And even if an increase is approved, it won’t be a significant one. Truly, BU should look to Blackboard and embrace it as the most viable alternative to a generation of wasteful printing.
An institution such as academia ‘- built on a foundation of pens and paper and the traditional meaning of the word blackboard ‘- doubtlessly will have a hard time with the digital transition. And the print quota decrease has made it necessary to delve into the transition quite suddenly. Now that it’s become an inescapable issue, BU faculty needs to make an attempt to learn Blackboard and make it accessible to students, and students need to both encourage their professors to make classes digitally integrated and to take advantage of the resource themselves. All print quota contention aside, Blackboard is a useful and comprehensive resource that could enrich the classroom experience dramatically if used correctly. Professors have the opportunity to post relevant links and open discussion boards that might not make it into the classroom but still are important, while students can submit their work, interact with classmates and access readings with ease. All of it can be done without any paper waste.
Blackboard has its flaws ‘- as all Internet-dependent programs do ‘- but its biggest challenge at BU is the lack of esteem the campus has for it. Simply put, the program saves time, money and the environment, and it’s completely easy to use. But to be effective, it will take a large-scale adaptation, and some effort from all members of the community. If students and faculty put as much zeal into using Blackboard as they do into mourning the loss of 400 of their free pages of printing, BU could already have made leaps and bounds in the digital transition, and this entire issue could be officially be disposed of. Instead, BU is wasting time ‘- and paper ‘- stuck in its old ways.’
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