GRANVILLE, Ohio—Denison University announced this week that its Office of Admissions has moved to a completely electronic application process, eliminating the need for paper.

“This initiative is part of the college’s ongoing commitment, not only to environmental sustainability, but also to the sound management of resources in general,” announced Perry Robinson, vice president and director of admissions at Denison. “We’ll use fewer pieces of paper by the thousands. It also will be a more efficient process for our staff—obviously one of our most valuable resources—and it will be less expensive, too. It’s just better all around,” Robinson said.

While the college has been accepting electronic applications for many years, the applications continued to be printed out, filed and handled by the admissions officers. With the new system, all aspects of the applications process are controlled online, which removes the need for hard copies. Paper applications will continue to be accepted, but they will be scanned into a computer and processed in the same manner as electronic applications.

The shift to a completely electronic procedure started about eight years ago, when Denison began to accept the Common Application, said Chris Cowie, senior associate director of admissions. Now, he says, “We can not only save trees, we can dedicate the extra time saved by this process to better serve our students.”

“This is what I like to call ‘altruism plus,’ ” said Jeremy King, Denison’s sustainability coordinator. “This is doing good for the sake of doing good—and reaping benefits at the same time.”

King also said the Office of Admissions began adopting sustainable practices years ago, and this is part of a larger effort. “They look at ways to reduce unnecessary mailings by creating more online resources for prospective students and their families, and campus visits have been coordinated with other colleges, so that resources are used more efficiently.”

Robinson added that sustainability efforts are ongoing, and his office, like others on Denison’s campus, will continue to look for ways to reduce paper and energy use. “It’s a process, and we’re glad to be part of it.”
 

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575