The cost of books and methods of acquiring them has always been a point of contention for college students, but for some it is a barrier keeping them from their full educational experience.
At the ASUW meeting on Oct. 19, Misty Eaton and Eric Webb of the bookstore presented early information on “Equitable Access” in hopes that it could be implemented in the future to lower the cost of materials for students.
“Course materials a decade ran about $700 a year for students,” Eaton said.
The current price estimate provided by Eaton is $450 a year. With implementation of an Equitable Access program, this price is expected to drop to $400 or lower.
Equitable Access broadly refers to the idea that every student should have fair access to course materials, and those materials should be available for all students at the beginning of the course.
What this means for the future of the university is still uncertain.
The main points put forward by Webb and Eaton are that it is expected to universally lower costs for students, and that it would likely be provided as an all-digital service.
Eaton likened the proposed program to a streaming service, where students could have instant access to their digital textbooks on the first day of class and could then upgrade to a print version if they so choose.
While the idea of lowering the cost of education was universally appreciated by the Senate, members still had their concerns.
ASUW President Hunter Swilling posed the question multiple questions regarding offering other pricing models than the Equitable access program.
President Swilling also asked whether course materials should follow a flat rate or be dependent on credit hours of reach course.
A senator from the college of engineering noted that textbooks are not always required materials, and some students may want to opt out of purchasing them altogether.
Due to the bundled nature of the textbooks, this could prove difficult to manage or could even mean students pay for a book they may not intend to use.
The inverse problem was also proposed by a senator, who noted that sometimes they want to buy textbooks outright after using them.
Eaton and Webb assured the senate that if Equitable Access were to move forward, an option would be provided to students to upgrade/purchase texts.
However, details regarding the exact form of an opt out system are less certain at this time.
It was also noted that the move to digital books may not be favorable for all students.
While the opportunity to purchase a print version of material will still be available, it was noted by Eaton that the university has seen significant growth in its online textbook licenses, going from 6,000 to 9,000 since last semester.
ASUW plans to seek student feedback on Equitable Access in the near future.
