Are Your Campuses Ready for 2026? The Year-End Checklist for Accessible, Equitable Print

Every year, campus leaders face a familiar question: Is our print environment ready for what students, faculty, and staff will need next semester?

But 2026 raises the stakes. Enrollment pressures, shifting budget cycles, accessibility requirements, and increasingly digital-first students are transforming how colleges and universities deliver information, services, and support. Print remains central to that mission, but only when it’s reliable, equitable, and built for modern campus life.

This year-end checklist helps institutions assess where they stand today so campus leaders can build a stronger, more accessible, student-centered print strategy for 2026

1. Accessibility: Are Your Print Workflows Designed for Every Learner?

Accessibility standards such as ADA and Section 508 extend far beyond digital content. Printed materials — from course packets to signage to admissions brochures — must be easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to request in the formats students need.

Ask yourself:

Are printed communications designed with universal design principles (font
size, color contrast, format)?
Can your print centers or distributed fleet reliably produce large-format, high-contrast, and alternative output when needed?
Are request workflows simple, fast, and student-friendly?

Accessibility isn’t a project; it’s a promise. If your fleet or workflows can’t keep up with accommodation needs, 2026 is the year to modernize.

2. Student Equity: Does Every Student Have Fair Access to Information?

Print equity is often overlooked in broader equity discussions, yet it directly shapes student success:

Some students rely on printed materials because digital note-taking isn’t viable.
Others cannot afford personal printers or ink, making on-campus printing essential.

Many first-generation students depend on clear, printed guidance for financial aid, advising, and onboarding.

Evaluate:

Are campus printers placed where students actually need them (labs, dorms, libraries, common spaces)?
Are print quotas equitable and aligned with real academic demands?
Is print access consistent across satellite campuses or remote learning sites?

An equitable print program ensures every student can access what they need, when they need it, without technological barriers.

3. Reliability & Uptime: Is Your Fleet Ready for the First Week Rush?

Campus printing is cyclical. Uptime during finals, move-in weekend, midterms, and recruitment season can make or break the student experience.

2026-readiness means tightening your reliability strategy:

Do you have a proactive maintenance plan that reduces emergency service calls?
Are the most mission-critical devices (in-plants, libraries, admissions, athletics) modern enough to handle volume spikes?
Can your IT and in-plant leaders see real-time device analytics to prevent bottlenecks?

Students aren’t patient with broken printers. Faculty aren’t either. Reliability is the silent driver of trust, and one of the clearest ROI indicators of a well-run print program.

4. Budgeting for 2026: Are Print Costs Predictable and Transparent?

Many institutions will finalize fiscal plans early in the new year. That makes December the ideal time to model how print will impact your 2026 budget.

Key questions:

Do you have accurate cost-per-page, device utilization, and waste data?
Is your refresh strategy designed to save money rather than react to emergencies?
Are you leveraging Managed Print Services (MPS) or Enterprise Content Management (ECM) to streamline redundant workflows?
Where can digitization reduce costs without sacrificing student experience?

A predictable print budget protects your institution from mid-year surprises and frees up funds for academic initiatives, DEI, and student services.

5. Campus Life Support: Is Print Supporting the Full Student Journey?

Print touches far more than academics. It shapes:

Orientation
Housing & dining
Athletic communications
Alum engagement
Advancement materials
Campus safety & signage
Wayfinding and event support
On-demand print for student organizations

If your print infrastructure can’t keep up with campus life, your student experience suffers. 2026 is the year to ensure your print program supports the entire campus ecosystem, not just the classroom.

6. Sustainability: Are You Reducing Waste and Improving Efficiency?

Sustainability mandates and student expectations are accelerating.

Evaluate:

Are you using energy-efficient devices and inkjet production?
Do you have pull-print, print policies, or device consolidation to reduce waste?
Are you offsetting print output through programs like PrintReleaf?
Does your in-plant have the right equipment to reduce outsourcing?