NEWS
Regents examine book prices
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Carl Jaeger:
- Many eager to pick chancellor (December 11, 2007)
- Officials debate Wiley's legacy (December 10, 2007)
- 'No guarantee' in UW success (December 10, 2007)
- New rules apply for UW seg fees (December 7, 2007)
- Regents hear about booze, textbooks (December 7, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Textbook manufacturers respond to student concerns (February 18, 2004)
- WISPIRG shouts out about high book prices (January 30, 2004)
- Textbook manufacturers respond to student concerns (February 18, 2004)
- Overseas Textbooks (October 24, 2003)
by Carl Jaeger
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
With textbook prices rising, some University of Wisconsin
students are looking at more affordable options.
A study released Monday by UW looks at what has been done to
alleviate textbook prices and what can be done to keep them affordable —
including supplying more copies in UW-Madison libraries, online exchange forums
and textbook swaps on campus.
The Textbook Costs Task Force was created after the UW
System Board of Regents decided to further investigate textbook prices and was
comprised of students, faculty and administrators, according to Aaron Brower,
UW-Madison vice provost for teaching and learning, who was also the committee
chair.
"In May, the Board of Regents passes a resolution where they
essentially wanted to get reports from each of the System institutions to have
them summarize what they are doing and what they hope to do on textbook costs,"
Brower said.
The Board of Regents will review the committee reports at
the monthly meeting Thursday and will take it into consideration when deciding
on future textbook policies, Brower said.
He added textbook prices are often an issue for incoming
college freshmen.
"I think that textbook costs are a fraction of the total
cost to go to school, but it's not insignificant, particularly if students are
not anticipating the costs … and if they haven't planned for it, then it can
become a problem," Brower said.
The report indicated a full-time student taking introductory
classes at UW typically spends approximately $700 on textbooks throughout the
year and that UW is in a unique situation because it does not have a
university-run bookstore, unlike other UW System schools.
Associated Students of Madison Academic Affairs Committee
Chair Jessica Pavlic, who was also on the Textbook Costs Task Force, said, "It's
not any secret textbook cost is a huge issue on our campus."
"What we did in this committee was try and think of other
ways that the libraries can help with the textbook problem, ways that
professors can help with the textbook problems, ways just the administration —
the Dean of Students Office — can help with the textbook costs," Pavlic said.
Pavlic said she discussed the possibility of using
electronic textbooks, or e-texts, that would alleviate the minor changes
various textbook editions often have.
"Obviously, students don't want to sit in front of a
computer and read their entire book, but we thought it'd be an easier way for
professors to highlight what is important and then students be able to print
out the important pages," Pavlic said. "You're not having to physically issue
new books year, after year … and it's easier to change little things here and
there than reprint the entire book."
Informing professors about the textbook situation will also
help solve the problem, Pavlic said, because if students are aware of what
books they need early enough they can look for the lowest prices.
Pavlic added she hopes the Board of Regents will use the
information to make textbook prices more reasonable for all UW System students.
"What we're hoping is that the Board of Regents look over
it, looks at our suggestions, takes it to heart and actually tries to do
something with it — change it," Pavlic said.
According to UW, a resource called Course Guide will be released
in the fall through My UW that will provide students with course information — including
required textbooks.
Anonymous (December 4, 2007 @ 12:48pm):
"You're not having to physically issue new books year, after year ... and it's easier to change little things here and there than reprint the entire book."
so, students/professors can decide for the publisher not to reprint a textbook? And a professor can change the text within that book for the author/publisher? ummm
Anonymous (December 4, 2007 @ 8:09pm):
down with Tom Shields!
Anonymous (December 18, 2007 @ 10:25pm):
The above article was brought to my attention only after I had written an article (over a week later) on the root causes of high textbook prices. My article can be read here:
http://siftingandwinnowing.org/2007/12/18/textbooks-and-the-free-market/
Bottom line: Most of the "solutions" that are being proposed don't address the underlying problem in any meaningful way, because high textbook costs have nothing to do with the cost of manufacturing or distributing books and everything to do with a lack of meaningful pressure on the prices publishers choose to set.
Add a comment
We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.
Login...
Not registered? Sign up now.
It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
