To the Editor,

I’m writing this letter to discuss printing credits amongst majors at Iowa State University. According to the ISU website, all students are given a minimum of 500 printing credits, but “some colleges have additional printing credits.” After doing research, I’ve learned that most majors are​ given additional printing credits. In fact, many are given a significant amount more than even necessary. Animal ecology, journalism and education are amongst the few majors that still only receive the minimum of 500 printing credits.

I believe that having a limit on printing credits is a good thing. I think it challenges students to be responsible and to manage their goods. However, I do not think that engineering majors should acquire an abundance of printing credits that they don’t even use, when journalism majors can hardly print a couple color resumes with the amount of credits they’re given.

The engineering students that I spoke with said that they get 4,000 credits and print for free in their building. A finance major I spoke with said that she currently has 2,700 credits left and even offered to print for me if I needed. Kinesiology, accounting and architecture are also amongst those who receive over 1,000 credits.

My worry is that the university is subtly communicating that some majors are of more importance than others. I would love to see equal printing credits, or at least, printing credits in direct proportion to how much the major prints.

Sincerely, Emily Knittel