No explanation for crazy printing rules

A regulation at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, has students queuing up at printing machines spewing out batches of paper non-stop round the clock.

Students must hand in two paper copies of their essays, literature list, and referenced articles, according to the rule. Students say to the University Post that this rule is bad for the environment, inefficient, and not student-friendly.

“Students often talk about the paper waste and the inconvenience this system of printing out written papers creates”, explains Pepijn Kooij, a PhD student at the department who first brought the rule to the University Post’s attention.

Others allow electronic versions

Sometimes professors allow students to send in assignments electronically, “and this is definitely preferred by students,” says Pepijn.

He is backed up by Andrea Baquero and Guillaume Hoareau, biology students: “We could send them [the written assignments] in via e-mail instead,” says Andrea.

This alternative is allowed at other departments, according to the University Post’s information, for example at the Department of political Science.

No response from Biology

The University Post has called and contacted the Department of Biology via e-mail, to find the explanation behind the rule.

See the text of our e-mail to the Department of Biology here, and the actual guidelines here.

No response has been forthcoming.

What are the rules for paper copies of reference articles at your department? Let us know, by writing in the comment field below.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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