Due to a decline in business from campus- wide efforts to reduce operating expenses, University Printing Services will be closing its doors June 18.

The phase-out was initially announced in March and was expected to last throughout the year in order to reassign employees but would last no later than February 2005.

However, the reassignment of staff proceeded more quickly according to Printing Services Manager Troy Lacey, and is the reason why operations are closing sooner than expected.

“The long case-scenario was that if they were not placed by February then that was going to be the drop-dead date, but it turned out we had two of the three employees placed within the last few weeks,” Lacey said. “The decision was made that you cannot run the services to accommodate only one employee and that third employee should be placed by June 21, which is why the date is set for June 18.”

According to Rebecca Ferguson, assistant vice president for human resources, all employees affected by the change were offered other employment prior to the unit’s closing.

“I and folks in my office, Marsha Serio in particular, talked with each effected employee and worked with upper level administration to develop a plan for them,” Ferguson said. “We met with each employee to talk them through what their individual plan was and what choices and options they might have to make.”

Lacey says there were two major factors that led to the closing. Most notable, he says, was the change in the business environment.

“There were a number of different factors, but right now it’s not being financed as profitable which is due partly to online sending of documents and information, all of which by-pass printing,” Lacey said. “For instance the Monitor going online, bursar bills going online all had a major impact.”

Printing Services was not the only area affected on campus. Revenue for Central Stores has also declined and is expected to close by June 30, 2005.

Materials and Handling, which makes up not only Printing Services and Central Stores but also Inventory Management and Postal Services, will be consolidated into new groups by July 2005. Postal Services and Stamper’s will be advised by Lacey, while the Shipping, Receiving and Property management unit will report to Bob Smith.

In order to meet campus printing and copying needs, Lacey says consumers can now go to Stamper’s, located in the Student Union.

“We are planning on still trying to handle all of the printing with exception of off-set printing at Stamper’s,” Lacey said. “It’s a more convenient location that we are hoping to transfer all of our digital business to.”

For offset printing jobs (business cards, letterhead stationery, envelopes, multiple brochures, etc.), Lacey says consumers can go to Rapid Printing, where the University has prime vendor contract and excellent rates.