By Christian Thomas | Script Editor-in-Chief

Papers are flying out of printers and into students’ pockets at Hampton University after the school installed 20 self service printing stations around the campus.

On Dec. 12, HU joined more than 100 colleges and universities around the country in implementing the cloud based printing service, Wireless Everywhere Print Anywhere (Wēpa).

The collegiate print management service offers colleges and universities an ideal “Pay-for-Print” solution that allows students and faculty the opportunity to print at any registered device through the Wēpa system. 

In turn, users can securely upload and print documents using the system’s Wēpa print mobile app.

“What we wanted to do was make it so that resident halls and the actual academic buildings had all of the printing systems,” Tyrone Joseph, an HU Help Desk technician, said. “Wanting to be able to have access wherever you’re at that you’ll be able to access those types of documents via the cloud so that you can have them at all times.”

The decision to expand the university’s printing stations came as an effort to provide more convenient and cost effective printing measures for students on campus. 

Prior to the integration, in order for students to print documents on campus, students would have to locate an accessible print station, login to a nearby computer, and print their documents through Google Workspace or an external drive.

Now, all students have to do is open the Wēpa print app, select the files that they wish to print, walk to the nearest printing station, and scan their mobile device to release their documents.

“It makes it a lot easier to access the information that you would need and be able to get it in a timely manner. That’s the real thing, being able to cut the time as much as possible,” Joseph said.

Despite the university installing 20 stations around campus, Joseph remains confident that, with Wēpa’s cloud management system, issues like a lack of paper, ink, and toner will be a worry of the past for students.

“I can see if the printers are low, I can see if the toner is low, I can see if the papers are low and all of that is managed through the Wēpa printing system,” Joseph said. “It’s really imperative that we have them, because if the paper comes out, that’s the only time students would get charged for it. If it doesn’t come out, students don’t get charged for it. Not only does it save consumables, but it saves students’ money.”

In the unlikely scenario where the user is charged for a document that the printer failed to print correctly, users are encouraged to reach out to the company’s 24/7 customer support system to receive a refund.

Wēpa’s accessibility, customer support measures, and lengthy list of trusted partners became the deciding factor for HU when the university became a part of the Wēpa print family. 

“When you log in, you can see how many different schools already have that,” Joseph said. “Unfortunately, we’re catching up to what a lot of other schools are doing right now and because of that, we can see a better light in the instance where now it’s coming so much for the future.”

“I’m loving the steps that we’re taking to get into that better light to where it’s more futuristic, easy to do, and convenient. Conveniency is the real key,” Joseph said.

To print using the Wēpa system, download the Wēpa print app. Select your school, login using your Microsoft 365 account, and locate a nearby printer.