Quinnipiac’s campus is continuing to move in a more eco-friendly direction, and the latest example is the creation of a new electronically-based package-tracking system that will be implemented next week.

The Quinnipiac community was notified of the new system on Jan. 12.  It was originally supposed to be in place by the time the semester began.

“Certain circumstances did not allow us to be up and running at the beginning of the semester, obviously we don’t want to unveil this if it’s not working,” said Peter DiDomenico, manager of printed matter processing.  “People are very unforgiving if you unveil something and it falls flat on your face.”

This plan has been in the works since last summer, according to DiDomenico.  Quinnipiac leases the equipment the Copy/Mail Centers use and when the lease was up, they took it as an opportunity to evaluate new technology.

“What we are stepping into is not brand new, we thought we’d keep the pace,”  DiDomenico said.

The new technology consists of e-mail notifications, so the square pieces of paper that are handed out in student mailboxes will not be used anymore.  Also, students will swipe their Q-Cards instead of signing next to their name when they pick up a package.  This is a plus, according to DiDomenico, and a way to save paper.

Another reason for the new system, DiDomenico said, is that he understands students do not make going to the post office part of their daily routine.  This way they do not have to check every day, but rather know when their package arrived and when it will be available for pick up.

Sophomore Paige Weiners thinks the new system has both pros and cons.

“So many people have PDAs and BlackBerrys now that they can receive the notification that they have a package instantly,” she said.  “I just worry because there can always be glitches with technology and there is a lot of room for error, a lot of things can go wrong with e-mail.”

Sophomore Miles McQuiggan thinks the new system is a good idea if it will lead to the post office being more effective than it has in the past.

During his freshman year, the post office misplaced his Red Sox tickets and found them three days later.  They apologized for not being able to find them; the tickets had been under a box.

“Anything that improves things for the students is a great idea, and it’ll save some paper in the process,” McQuiggan said.

A new policy of security will be put in place along with the new package-tracking system.  A paper book containing each student’s mailbox assignment and combination will no longer reside in the post office.  Therefore, combinations will no longer be handed out at the mail window.

“It left us vulnerable,” DiDomenico said.  “If that book ever disappeared, a lot of people would have reason to be concerned.”

Instead, mailbox assignments and combinations will continue to be posted in MyHousing on the Residential Life tab on MyQ and students will be able to access them electronically at anytime.