Proposal slates mailings

Places strict limitations on all-campus mailings

The end of the Spring semester may also mark the end of all campus mailings if a proposal written primarily by senator senior Devin Theriot-Orr and junior Sadhu Johnston is approved by several more offices and divisions.

The proposal states that each week all-campus announcements would be submitted to a communications intern, a work-study position created by the proposal, at the Office of Communications.

An all-campus mailing would then be sent out with summaries of the week's announcements. The full announcements would be available to students in the mailroom and behind glass cases for reading. The costs of this mailing would be covered by the Office of Communications in the proposal.

"People will be more likely to read one mailing, once a week that contains everything they need to know than they would to read separate mailings from each department," said Theriot-Orr.

The new proposal states that no department or individual within the College may send out all-campus mailings, except for security alerts and annual mailings such as Fussers and Oberlin Film Series, WOBC and Conservatory schedules. Under the proposal the Office of Communications will have the authority to call for an all campus mailing.

Part of the proposal is also making Oberlin Shorts, a web-page with the announcements. This would parallel efforts of the Computing Center to push for people to use electronic means to publicize announcements.

The proposal would hope to move information-sharing in this direction as well. "We haven't made the jump to use computers to their full capacity," Cheryl Wolfe, Director of Environmental Health and Safety said.

Thoriot-Orr and Johnston said the proposal is aimed at reducing paper, costs and create a better-informed student body. They said the new proposal will allow students to limit the all-campus information they receive, making it more efficient.

Under the current procedure offices and student organizations can send an all-campus mailing by paying the mailroom $130. This year there have been 72 all-campus mailings which have cost a total of $9,324.

Supporters say the proposal reduces campus mailings to 30 per year, a cut which would save 79 percent of the paper now used and 68 percent of the cost.

"I think people will be more informed. The end result will be less frustration, in addition to saving a lot of paper," Theriot-Orr said.

"I think it is a tremendous idea," Al Moran, director of Communications said. He said he was impressed by the student initiative in the proposal.

"Instead of pushing things on students, we will give them the information through Oberlin Shorts. Then they can access, or pull, only the information they want," Johnston said.

"Our goal is that a lot of superfluous posters that go up will be taken under the umbrella of Oberlin Shorts," said Theriot-Orr. "Student organizations can advertise speakers and events in a way that will keep people better informed."

The proposal must be supported by all College division heads, something Theriot-Orr and Johnson don't think will be a problem.

"It is a proposal that is well thought out, and backed by good data," Wolfe said. "It crosses divisional lines, so we need to follow correct procedures."

Theriot-Orr and Johnston admit that aspects of the proposal, such as the lay-out of Oberlin Shorts, and the hiring procedure for the work-study position, have not been finalized. However, they anticipate it could take effect by August.

Before being implemented, this new proposal must be approved by all College Division heads, including Finance, Communications and the President's Office.

Reduce, re-use, recycle: With less mailings and the initiation of Oberlin Shorts, an online news source, Oberlin is working on ending the multicolored paper flurries in the mailroom. (photo by Nachie Castro)