Cash-strapped colleges outsource copy centers

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Several Ohio colleges have outsourced their copy centers to Xerox in the latest attempt to cut costs.

Cuyahoga Community College said Xerox Corp. will operate its campus copy centers and provide new copying and printing equipment, after a similar move by Cleveland State University.

Cleveland State estimates that the copy center switch will save the school $500,000 per year, said Jack Boyle, the school’s vice president for business affairs and finance. The school won’t have to budget for new printers or copy machine maintenance because Xerox will provide new equipment every five years.

The copy center switches follow steps by colleges and universities to reduce costs by outsourcing the operation of book stores, recreation centers and dining halls.

Most of Xerox’s managed services clients are large corporations that want to streamline their printing, said Brian Walsh, who manages the company’s sales operations in Ohio.

Outsourcing works at the college and university level because it reduces the number of people on payroll who receive benefits such as free tuition for family members, said Bob Hassmiller, chief executive of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.

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