THE START of a new school year brings with it another round of complaints over the inordinate cost of school books. As publishers continue to hike prices in the face of complaints from consumers, students can be forgiven for resigning themselves to the yearly sticker shock. Although the high cost of books may seem to be an unsolvable problem, states and higher education institutions elsewhere in the country have provided a model for confronting escalating expenses.
The problem of high-cost textbooks is well documented. A study conducted in 2004 by the Government Accountability Office, the self described "investigative arm of the [U.S.] Congress," concluded that the college students spend an average of around $900 per year on books and supplies. These costs can rise even further for students who have to purchase costly textbooks for math and science classes where textbooks often cost in excess of $100 and even $150.
The effect of this financial crunch is reflected by many students' decision to forgo purchasing books and take classes without the required readings.. A report issued by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia confirmed this trend, noting that 40 percent of respondents to a survey of Virginia college students "could not afford to purchase textbooks for one or more semesters."
Fortunately, officials at the General Assembly and at the University have already taken the lead in addressing this problem. The General Assembly has passed laws to notify professors of the costs of their assigned readings and to offer unbundled add-ons such as workbooks and CDs, allowing students to only pay for the textbook. Officials at the University have also adopted innovative policies to combat the high cost of textbooks by creating an innovative program that allows students to save money by renting rather than purchasing textbooks.
While such programs are a positive first step toward allowing students to escape the strain of high book prices, they can only be effective if they are understood well enough by students. As such, Student Council could work with the officials at the University Bookstores to ensure that students are aware of the new system and that they understand how to utilize it effectively in future semesters.
Moreover, the program is currently only being offered for books assigned in approximately 75 courses. Council could help University Bookstores expand this program to cover more courses in future semesters. Council could help this program expand by facilitating cooperation between professors, publishers and University officials
In addition to the rental program, other options are available to both Council and University officials to combat this issue. One oft-discussed solution involves creation of an effective book exchange where students can sell and purchase books at more favorable prices than are available at the University Bookstore. While such measures seem like an obvious move to reduce book costs, they have met with mixed success.
A book exchange program operated for approximately ten years by Council was eventually discontinued due to lack of usage and limited effectiveness in 2000. While the program operated by Student Council proved ineffective, a book exchange program is in place at the College of William & Mary provides students there with a low cost alternative for academic texts.
The program, which buys students' books for 45 percent of their purchase value and sells them for 50 percent of their bookstore value has operated as a cost-saving institution for at William & Mary for the past five years. Council, or another student association, could potentially save students money by examining the differences between successful and unsuccessful book exchanges in order to learn how to operate an effective program at the University.
With the new Council administration just beginning its term, they have had little chance to implement new initiatives to address this issue. In reference to the creation of a book exchange, Chief of Staff Ryan McElveen noted, "That's a very good idea but we have not put any work into that yet." McElveen also notes, "Student Council gets its non-SAF working budget from the Bookstore, so that has been a conflict of interest and barrier to action in the past on movements to reduce textbook prices." Fortunately it is early in the semester, and Council still has the opportunity to make this issue a major priority in its new term.
While there are certainly indications that authorities at the University are taking positive steps toward combating the rising costs of textbooks, the high cost of academic texts will only be reduced student organizations and University officials work together in crafting innovative policies and educating students as to the instrument available to relieve their financial strain. Such action would be a vital step towards ensuring that University students have the resources to take advantage of this institution's world-class educational opportunities.
Adam Keith's column appears Tuesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at akeith@cavalierdaily.com.
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