If you’ve ever wondered why you have to buy the expensive new edition of a textbook instead of a much cheaper older version, your professors will be able to tell you beginning today.
A provision of the Higher Education Opportunity Act will require publishers to provide in-depth textbook content and pricing information to faculty when they are selecting content from the publisher, according to a release by the Student Press Law Center.
The act requires that publishers include, in writing, the prices of bundled and unbundled texts, descriptions of content changes between editions, prices and availabilities of other formats of the texts, copyright dates for the most recent three editions and the price of the textbook in question.
Whitney Durham, a junior majoring in social work, said she supported the act’s goals.
“I think that the law couldn’t have come at a better time,” Durham said. “It’s about time somebody advocated for the students in relation to how expensive all our books are.”
Some faculty on campus said they’ve always been focused on helping the students and controlling prices.
“I have found that stakeholders on this campus are very sensitive to the expense of texts, and work to provide options for students, with some faculty placing a copy of the text on reserve at the library,” said Victoria Peeples, an assistant professor of human development and family studies.
Peeples added that she thought there are plenty of options for formats for students who are looking to keep costs down, including hardcovers, binder-ready and e-books.
“In addition, there is a new campus initiative to offer textbooks through a rental program,” Peeples said. “I have even heard of publishers exploring options for conveying course material using iPads.”
For Rachel Mitchell, a junior majoring in chemical and biological engineering, current options on campus are insufficient.
“Prices in general are extremely high,” said Mitchell. “However, the prices online are much cheaper than the prices of the SUPe store.”
Mitchell also said she did not think the HEOA would have much of a long-term impact.
“I’m not sure how it will affect the textbooks professors choose, but I can’t see how it will help students much, at least not at UA, since pricing information is already online,” Mitchell said.
Bruce Barrett, an associate professor of statistics at the University, agreed with Mitchell.
“I don’t think it’s going to make any difference,” said Barrett in reference to the HEOA’s requirements. “I think the free market can make it work.”
Barrett, unlike Peeples, said that new editions do not always contain valuable new information, at least for hard sciences and math.
“For most introductory level courses, the basics of the discipline just don’t change that quickly,” Barrett said.
He added that faculty recognize the burden students face, but typically do not have many options for their classes.
“In general, faculty are aware that at the introductory level you may have a large number of competing texts,” said Barrett. “But for upper level division courses, they’re probably more concerned with how the text aligns with the course objectives.”
Despite claims that the information would not change prices, Whitney Durham said she thinks the information is still needed.
“They better use the access to this info,” Durham said. “There is no reason they shouldn’t.”
Publishers must provide: edition changes, price for bundled versions, and most recent three copyright years
