Printer Usage and Management

 

University Policy: Printer Usage and Management

Applies To: All University Faculty, Staff, Students, and Student Workers.

1. Purpose

The goal of this policy is to facilitate the efficient, cost-effective use of printing and copying assets across the university. This policy also enhances campus sustainability by increasing awareness about printing and reducing waste.

 

2. Policy Statement

To facilitate business operations and dedicated department use, University of Lynchburg employees are required to use shared, networked university-sponsored Konica printers for their printing and copying needs. The use of non-Konica or non-approved printers is strictly prohibited except in certain circumstances, see section 4. The university is actively reaching out to personnel who currently possess these devices to facilitate their removal.


 

Students will continue to use a pay-to-print system by establishing a PaperCut account.

 

3. Request and Approval Process

Dedicated (non-Konica) printers are permissible only with advance approval. If an employee identifies a need for a dedicated printer, they must follow the official process:

 

  • Formal Request: Employees must email IT at ithelp@lynchburg.edu. Dedicated printers may be permitted for employees who do not have a Konica in the same building (see below in section 4).

  • Mandatory Approvals: Dedicated printers require approval from the CIO, Deputy CIO, and the Network Manager.

  • Procurement: Approved dedicated printers must be procured exclusively through IT. Employees are strictly prohibited from bringing in personal home printers or purchasing printers using University Procurement Cards (P-Cards). Unapproved devices found on the network or connected via USB will be disconnected immediately. Approved dedicated printers must be purchased according to the IT Purchasing Guidelines. They must be a brand and type specified by IT and will be purchased and maintained using departmental funds.

  • Student Worker Access: University student workers are permitted to use the Konica copiers. To gain access, the student worker’s supervisor must contact IT to create a departmental account in PaperCut. A desktop support technician will then set up the student worker, who must use a university-owned computer, to print to the Konica.


 

4. Exemptions for Non-Approved Printers

The only time a personal printer is allowed is if there is not a shared Konica printer located nearby within the same building (the general rule is: "if you have to get wet to make a copy"). This exception serves strictly as a temporary solution until the sourcing and purchasing of a Konica printer can be completed for that location. If this exception applies:

 

  • All materials and consumables for the printer must be funded by the department requesting or using the printer.

  • IT will provide service, support, or maintenance for the printer while we source a Konica

 

Reasons that do not meet the criteria for a non-Konica printer:

  • Confidentiality: Konica printers utilize Secure Print / Badge Release (PaperCut). Print jobs do not sit in an open tray; they are only released when the user physically authenticates at the machine, ensuring total confidentiality.

  • Convenience/Emergencies: The 'Follow-Me' printing system allows users to access their print jobs from any Konica machine on campus. If a specific printer is offline, users can simply walk to the nearest operational Konica machine.

 

5. Enforcement and Support

  • Approved Equipment: IT staff will provide full support for all Konica printers and approved dedicated printers.

  • Unapproved Equipment: IT will not provide any support—including setup, maintenance, or repairs—for non-approved printers.

  • Right to Re-evaluate: IT retains the explicit right to re-evaluate all Konica printer locations and the individual use of personal printers at any point.

  • Network Security & Audits: IT reserves the right to conduct regular network and endpoint audits. Any unapproved printer discovered connected to the university network or via USB to a university endpoint is subject to immediate removal without prior notice to protect institutional data security.

Policy originally dated July 2023

Updated July 2026

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