A win-win for the environment and for students too.
That was how the Biliran Province State University (BiPSU) framed its decision to limit the number of hardbound copies of theses passed by its graduating students.
Under the new directive, undergraduate theses and graduate dissertations will require only one printed and hardbound copy for official archival purposes.
All other required copies must be submitted electronically through the BiPSU ScholarsHUB, the university’s institutional repository.
BiPSU President Victor Cañezo said the reform addresses the growing need for environmentally responsible practices in higher education, particularly in research production.
Data from internal studies indicate that limiting submissions to one hardbound copy could save approximately 3.34 million sheets of paper, conserve an estimated 610 trees, and prevent around 15 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions linked to paper production and printing.
University officials said the new policy will not only help conserve valuable resources but spare students added expenses in printing and hardbinding copies of their theses.
By reducing the number of printed copies, the university aims to ease financial pressures while maintaining research quality and academic standards, they added.
Complementing the reform is the strengthening of BiPSU ScholarsHUB, where theses and dissertations are digitally archived to ensure long-term preservation, accessibility, and transparency of scholarly outputs.
According to Cañezo, centralized digital archiving enhances research visibility, citation monitoring, and knowledge-sharing within and beyond the university.
(With report from PIA)
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