When the University of Wisconsin says it needs to make budget cuts, the last thing most people think about is a cut to professors’ paper budget.
But many professors have resorted to putting much of their course material online to cut down on the costs of making hundreds of hard copies.
“It’s more convenient [to put class material] online,” said Jack Mitchell, professor of journalism and mass communication, who puts much of his material online. Mitchell explained that it is not just easy for him, but it’s “more accessible for the students, too.”
Mitchell said it is not a budget issue for his class, but he understands that is why a lot of professors put their course information online.
Some students have expressed approval for the practice as well, but say there are problems with it.
“It’s a lot less paper to print and keep track of,” Brian Runnells, UW sophomore, said. “[In general,] it’s a good thing [for both the professors and the students.] But, because my computer is broken, it’s very inconvenient to get notes.”
“Going to the ARCH or computer lab is a very inconvenient way to get notes,” he added. “[The professors] could hand out the homework assignments in class. That’s not asking too much.”
Freshman Angie Karls agrees. “Professors shouldn’t abandon in-class handouts,” said Karls.
She suggested that professors use both hard copies and the Internet to distribute and display class material.
“[Using only the Internet] adds a lot more stress for those who don’t have computers,” Karls said. “But, [the Internet] is nice to have if you have a hard copy and you lose it.”
Sam Alper, a UW senior, also thinks that professors should use a combination of Internet and in-class handouts. “I honestly like a combination,” said Alper.
Alper explained that it’s worthwhile for professors to spend more of their budget on paper for handouts but knows having more material online cuts down on paper. “It depends on the nature of the class,” explains Alper. “I have lectures with power-point presentations, and it’s easy to catch up if you missed class [if the notes are online].”
However, other students are generally opposed to the practice altogether.
“I prefer [handouts] on paper,” said freshman Maurice Shaw. “It’s worth the budget for paper. Not all my friends have computers, and the computer doesn’t always work.” Shaw also pointed out that hard copies are easier to use because students don’t have to go back and forth to a computer to work on homework.
Professor Bernice Durand stopped using the Internet to solely display course material when the effort for keeping up-to-date with the Internet was overcoming its ease of use and ease on the budget. “I put forth a huge effort to keep up-to-date with my class,” said Durand, who currently teaches Physics 107. “It wasn’t worthwhile for my situation.”
When asked if most professors should use the Internet for course material, Durand replied, “It’s ultimately in the cost of the professor’s effort, not the paper budget.”
Increasingly, classes are becoming more dependent on the Internet. More students are warming up to the idea, even though many still think in-class handouts are better. “A few students have said in the past that it’s inaccessible, but none so far this year,” said professor Mitchell.