The Badger Herald: News: Academic Affairs pushes campaign

News

Academic Affairs pushes campaign

Committee promotes affordable textbooks including alternative sources, old editions

JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo

Academic Affairs Chair Jonah Zinn (right) tries to garner support for their new campaign from Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning Aaron Brower.

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By Marie Puissant
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 1:58 a.m.

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The Associated Students of Madison Academic Affairs Committee presented its Affordable Textbook Campaign to the University Committee Monday in hopes of gaining its endorsement before the campaign’s appearance before the Faculty Senate.

“The reason we brought this forth is because textbook costs are a growing concern for students,” Academic Affairs Chair Jonah Zinn said. “We’re looking for student and faculty cooperation to remedy the situation, (to) find solutions to help both professors and students.”

Zinn presented seven resolutions as part of the Faculty Imperative to Reduce Textbook Costs. Some of the resolutions included professors and faculty getting book lists out to students four weeks in advance and having them researching both traditional and alternative options for books, such as electronic, open source, print and course readers “in order to ensure the highest educational standards are being kept and to ensure that educational materials are being used to their fullest utility.”

“We also want faculty to wait to use new editions [of textbooks] for at least two years, in order to ensure they will be cheaper and more available,” Zinn said. “It’s often difficult for professors to adjust teaching styles based on new textbooks coming out every semester. It’s a burden on faculty as well.”

In regard to waiting for two years to buy new editions of textbooks, UW professor of chemistry Judith Burstyn said publishers in her area of study are extremely aggressive.

She added they have tried to not use new textbooks but could only do it for one extra year. At some point, they just have to have new textbooks because of all the newly available information.

Dennis Maki, a University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health professor and a member of the University Committee, said professors cannot wait to buy new editions.

“It doesn’t make sense to wait [a few years] on new textbooks,” Maki said. “In many fields, the pace of knowledge is very rapid. To let it age for a few years doesn’t make sense. If it’s new, cutting edge, [it] advances chances to convey knowledge we’re trying to obtain with this course.”

He added future generations will not really have to worry about textbook costs with the move to put textbooks online.

Although the committee appeared unofficially supportive of the textbook campaign, Academic Affairs will wait for its official endorsement after it discusses and makes a decision within the next few weeks.

Anthony Jered Madsen, College of Engineering representative to Student Council and member of Academic Affairs Committee, said it seemed like the University Committee was more knowledgeable about the textbook situation than other groups Academic Affairs has tried to get support from.

“Eighty-three percent of students spend more than $400 on textbooks; 54 percent have spent more than $600,” Zinn said about a survey the committee took of over 1,800 students. “This is acknowledged by the [UW System] Board of Regents and is obviously a problem that needs to be addressed.”

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