UH and Océ Team to Solve Specialized Equipment Dilemma
In spite of shrinking revenues, universities and colleges of technology are under intense pressure to provide up-to-date instruction on the latest equipment using the newest software. Periodically replacing outdated equipment and software taxes the maintenance and operating budgets of colleges of technology to the breaking point or beyond. Manufacturers of all-purpose office and consumer-level equipment and software, including Apple, Dell, Microsoft, Adobe, and numerous others, have graciously responded to the situation by providing attractive educational pricing. In addition, the high-volume production of such items has led to a general reduction in their real prices over time. Because of the relatively low prices of computer workstations and standard software, coupled with generous educational discounts, colleges of technology have a reasonable opportunity to keep their all-purpose computer hardware and software up-to-date.
However, the same cannot be said for specialized equipment. While a fully-loaded, all-purpose computer workstation may cost $2,000 or less, a single piece of dedicated equipment may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. The situation is particularly acute in graphic communications technology programs. Whereas a complete computer laboratory accommodating 20 students in computer graphic arts classes may be installed for $50,000 or less, a single printing press may cost that or much more. Prudence dictates that no more than two students work on a printing press at the same time. To outfit a press laboratory to safely accommodate 20 students would cost a minimum of $500,000. Obviously, college administrators would have a difficult time justifying such an expense, even if it were spread out over many years; whereas, a $50,000 all-purpose computer lab may be considered a "reasonable" expense.
Traditional Ways to Solve the Problem
Graphic communications programs have traditionally "solved" this problem in a number of ways. First, and perhaps most commonly, schools hold on to their press equipment far longer than appropriate. For example, the seven printing presses used by the graphic communications technology students at the University of Houston (UH) are over 30 years old! Those machines, even though operable, are essentially antiques and do not provide students with an opportunity to use the latest technologies.
Second, programs may "beg" for hand-me-down equipment from printers or press manufacturers. Those same six presses at UH were all donated, in used condition, from their original owners. Sadly, people seldom donate new equipment that is in good condition. In either scenario one or two, a basic principle of technology education-teaching with up-to-date equipment-remains unfulfilled.
A third "solution" has been to purchase or lease a few pieces of equipment, often through the use of federal vocational education funds, and assign more students to those machines than is pedagogically sound or prudently safe. In such cases, accidents are likely and education suffers when one or more students stand around while others actually operate the machine. (As an aside, vocational education funds can only be used for "workforce development" programs. In Texas, all workforce development occurs in high schools and community colleges. Therefore, as a senior university, UH is not eligible for vocational education funds.)
Finally, some graphic communications programs are occasionally blessed with outright donations of new state-of-the-art equipment. This last scenario, although appealing at first glance, is highly unlikely (manufacturers simply cannot donate equipment that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to every school that requests it) and often causes extreme pressure on operating budgets to provide necessary maintenance and repairs. In addition, donated new equipment becomes obsolete just as fast as purchased equipment.
Like all similar programs, the graphic communications technology program at UH endeavors to provide a state-of-the-art education for its students. However, even though tuition and fees are sufficient to keep its computer graphics/prepress laboratory up to date, those fees cannot begin to cover the cost of press equipment, especially contemporary digital printing machines.
The UH/Oce Solution
In what may be one of the most perfect solutions to this age-old dilemma, Paul Crane, Vice President of Marketing for Océ, an international manufacturer of printers, copiers, and digital presses, agreed in late 2001 to provide a demonstration unit of its state-of-the-art 3165 (or its equivalent) digital press, valued at approximately $65,000, for about one month each semester. Under the terms of the agreement, Océ will deliver and install the machine, provide training for both the instructor and students, provide service and supplies, and remove the machine at the end of the term.
Océ delivered a machine to the UH graphic communications technology laboratory for the first time in early April, 2002. Once the machine was up and running, Debbie Wilson, Centralized Solutions Specialist, and Roger Olson, Applications Engineer, provided a two-hour overview and demonstration of the 3165 digital press to Dr. Jerry Waite, Associate Professor of Technology and coordinator of the graphic communications technology program, and his class (see photo at left--click the thumbnail to see a full-sixed image). Subsequently, each member of the class was able to print on-demand variable-data documents in real time by sending files of various types from their computer workstations. By the time the month was over, the unit had produced over 50,000 impressions and had provided the graphic communications technology students with practical experience with a state-of-the-art digital press while, at the same time, familiarizing them with digital press workflow concepts.
Dr. Waite was also able to use the machine to run experimental tests for a research project that he is conducting. He is comparing the print-related attributes of various brands and models of digital presses to the same attributes of conventional lithographic presses. Some of the attributes being tested include tone value increase, density variations, registration, halftone fidelity at various line screens, and banding.
The administration, faculty, and students of the UH College of Technology sincerely appreciate the efforts of Debbie Wilson and Paul Crane in providing an excellent solution to our need to provide our students with an exceptional education.
For more information about the graphic communications technology program at the University of Houston, point your browser to www.uh.edu/~jwaite. To learn more about the Océ line of printers, copiers, and digital presses, visit www.oceusa.com.