The morning frenzies some students encounter on test days could be erased now that 2,500 Scantrons will soon be en route to campus.
Student Government Association Vice President Brett Anderson said the Scantrons were scheduled to arrive in two to three weeks for a free trial in the Mary Couts Burnett Library, a place SGA saw as a convenient location for students. Anderson said the biggest issue for not getting the Scantrons in sooner was a drawn-out ordering process and the inability to communicate with other representatives over the holiday break.
Anderson, a junior marketing major, said the House of Student Representatives passed a bill allocating money to buy the Scantrons last November.
SGA made the decision to allocate the money toward something that students would really use, he said.
Anderson said that prior to making the decision of putting the Scantrons in the library, SGA looked into several different options to provide the Scantrons. One of the ideas was a Scantron vending machine.
“We found that the easiest way to do it was just to buy in bulk, directly from Scantron,” he said.
He said the cost of the 2,500 Scantrons was a little more than $300.
Laura Vilaro, a junior marketing and supply and value chain management double major, said four of the five classes she is taking require her to bring Scantrons on quiz and test days.
“Before I knew about the upcoming free Scantron trial, I never agreed with having to pay for our own Scantrons,” she said. “I’m not only happy that the free Scantrons will be available to us, I’m happy that they are placing them in the center of where most of my classes are.”
Anderson said the Scantrons will be available behind the information help desk in the library. Students can take up to three Scantrons per visit.
He said the decision of whether or not free Scantrons will be permanently provided to students will be based on the demand for Scantrons during the trial.
“We hope it’s something that we can continue,” he said. “We think it’s something that students are going to be real excited about.”
