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National legislation proposed to lower textbook cost
Colorado student orgs follow suit
Aaron Hedge
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: News
In light of skyrocketing textbook costs, Colorado student organizations are following suit in a nation-wide legislative effort to lighten the load textbooks impose on student wallets.
The Associated Students of CSU (ASCSU) and the Associated Students of Colorado (ASC) began a letter-writing campaign this semester directed at state lawmakers pushing legislation requiring textbook to make textbook information transparent to teachers and students.
CSU students have written and sent 227 letters to Sen. Steve Johnson, (R - Fort Collins), over the past three weeks, said Dan Palmer, textbook efforts coordinator for ASCSU.
But Johnson said state lawmakers will be less concerned with textbook costs than they will be about other monetary issues.
"Frankly, I am a lot more concerned with the tuition increase the board of governors passed this summer, over 16.5 percent for residents," he said in an email interview.
The price of textbooks has increased 40 percent over the past five years, which is twice the rate of inflation, according to a U.S. Department of Education report.
And there are several factors contribute to high textbook costs.
Students don't know what the costs are because publishers aren't required to disclose that information, said Gibson.
Bruce Hildebrand, executive director of the Higher Education department at the Association of American Publishers disagrees. He said that there is concern among publishers that the market is too transparent.
He points out that International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) are available online.
"How much transparency do you need?" he said. "(Publishers) have used the Internet to explode information to the public."
Another problem is bundling, which is the inclusion of learning supplements like CDs and Internet ID cards with textbooks.
Bundling increases costs of textbooks by adding material that may not be used in class onto the price.
Hildebrand said students assume that publishers are at fault for the high price bundling generates. But the blame actually lies with teachers, he said.
The Associated Students of CSU (ASCSU) and the Associated Students of Colorado (ASC) began a letter-writing campaign this semester directed at state lawmakers pushing legislation requiring textbook to make textbook information transparent to teachers and students.
CSU students have written and sent 227 letters to Sen. Steve Johnson, (R - Fort Collins), over the past three weeks, said Dan Palmer, textbook efforts coordinator for ASCSU.
But Johnson said state lawmakers will be less concerned with textbook costs than they will be about other monetary issues.
"Frankly, I am a lot more concerned with the tuition increase the board of governors passed this summer, over 16.5 percent for residents," he said in an email interview.
The price of textbooks has increased 40 percent over the past five years, which is twice the rate of inflation, according to a U.S. Department of Education report.
And there are several factors contribute to high textbook costs.
Students don't know what the costs are because publishers aren't required to disclose that information, said Gibson.
Bruce Hildebrand, executive director of the Higher Education department at the Association of American Publishers disagrees. He said that there is concern among publishers that the market is too transparent.
He points out that International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) are available online.
"How much transparency do you need?" he said. "(Publishers) have used the Internet to explode information to the public."
Another problem is bundling, which is the inclusion of learning supplements like CDs and Internet ID cards with textbooks.
Bundling increases costs of textbooks by adding material that may not be used in class onto the price.
Hildebrand said students assume that publishers are at fault for the high price bundling generates. But the blame actually lies with teachers, he said.
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