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"For the first time, a federal law has taken effect which requires “institution[s] of higher education receiving Federal financial assistance” to provide students with information on textbook pricing. The key textbook provision (sec. 133(d)) of the Higher Education Opportunity Act mandates that schools disclose: ... on the institution’s Internet course schedule and in a manner of the institution’s choosing, the International Standard Book Number and retail price information of required and recommended college textbooks and supplemental materials for each course listed in the institution’s course schedule …"
The opinion piece goes on to say that the law might cause students to shop around for the cheapest classes based on textbook costs and it might pressure professors to assign cheaper books. It says professors don't pay attention to textbook costs but this might force their hand.
Assuming that students have no choice when it comes to taking certain classes in their major and assuming professors don't pay attention to how much books cost for their classes, how do you see this new law impacting electives choices and the possibility of professors altering textbook reading requirements?
I didn't read the article (yet), so I am responding to your post only.
Any law mandating colleges post ISBN numbers is fine by me. The first three semesters at my previous college had students flying blind when it came to textbooks. The college bookstore listed the required books by a vague description (a calculus textbook would simply be listed as Calculus, for example). No other information, excluding price new and used, was offered. The textbooks themselves were stored behind the counter, so you couldn't browse the isle to get this information.
They finally changed that about a year ago and they now include the ISBN.
Now, to your questions:
Knowing the ISBN number means that students can search out cheaper copies of the book, or in some cases, older editions that are still relevant-yet up to 90% or so cheaper. In that respect, I don't think that price of books would hinder the choice to take a course or not, but...it absolutely boogles my mind that there are still plenty of students who don't realize their options. Sorry, but if you (or your parents) are still dropping $400, $500, $600+ a semester on textbooks after your first year, then you have no one to blame but yourself.
Here's a good example: I am taking a chemistry course next semester. The school's bookstore is selling the book for $175 used ($233 new). Pricing on Amazon and Half are better, but, I bought the previous edition on-line for $3.80 (just over $7.00 with postage). Here's the thing, it's the same effin' book!
I honestly do not think that this new policy will have any impact on how professors chose their books. The general attitude with college seems to be that if you can afford the school, then you can afford the textbooks. However, the attitude varies with individual professors. I have had professors who wished that there were cheaper options for students, some of which flat out told students to buy an older edition. I have also had prof's who want you to buy what ever book they tell you to-even if you never use it.
As for electives: yeah, some students will drop the course after they realize how much the 'required' textbooks are going to cost, but, students drop courses for every type of reason imaginable. In that respect, nothing will really change. If your decision rests on the cost of books, you can always ask the professor what your options are. Just send them an email, or talk to them after class.
Friends son a college freshman, had signed up for a elective, found it had 4 ~$80 books, for the class, he switched to a different elective, that had a $10 paperback workbook.
It may cause students to switch courses. More likely it will force professors and school administrators to exercise better judgement in their textbook requirements. Is this year's edition really superior to last year's? Do students really have to purchase four textbooks to master the curriculum, or are some of them superfluous? Publishers will likely respond in kind by stretching out their timeframes, maybe releasing a new edition every two or three years instead of every one year.
I can't imagine the cost of textbooks really taking precedent over scheduling issues and subject matter though, for most students. By that I mean, if a student has a choice between Art History, textbooks costing $50, course at 2PM 2x/wk, and Pysch 101, textbooks costing $25, course at 7AM 3x/wk, most students aren't going to endure an early morning class just to save $25. Most students would still put their schedule before money.
I find it surprising that it took a federal mandate to make this happen. A lot of schools invest so much in recruiting the best students, I'm surprised no one thought earlier that disclosing these soft costs up front would be appealing to prospective students.
While I strongly agree that the textbook issue has gotten out of hand, I don't think that this law is the solution. To require it on the course schedule seems excessive. Mandating that schools provide students (before the start of class) with ISBN numbers makes sense and should be law, but too much more than that seems unnecessary and unlikely to fix the problem.
I briefly worked in the textbook department of a college bookstore at one point, and we had a big problem with professors providing us with their required textbooks; many were very good, of course, but there were always some who never got the store the required list in time. That meant angry students trying to buy textbooks that were not yet available (or, if a textbook was used in several courses but we only knew about one, then students in both classes being angry because we ordered enough for 30 students, but 60 actually needed the book). I'm sure those same professors are still doing the same thing, regardless of the law. (although I suppose a new law will provide more incentive for the university to prod them into following what I assume was formal internal policy, anyway)
And yes, from both the consumer and later a bookstore employee's perspective I think there are those professors who do have no idea how much textbooks cost, or who simply don't think it's worth considering. I certainly always appreciated those professors who did take that into account.
I doubt that many students will base their course decisions (other than perhaps casually taken electives), but making sure that students have easy access to the correct ISBN will certainly make it easier for them to shop around and to find the best prices. Full disclosure of IBSN numbers prior to the class makes sense.
If they've gone that far, requiring ISBN's, I can think of one more. How about outlawing these 'custom' textbooks that are supposedly made specially for such and such college? In reality, 99% of these books are the same mass produced book, with a different cover or such. All it really does is give the schools a loophole to bypass the intent of this law, because those custom edition books have different ISBNs then normal books.
If they've gone that far, requiring ISBN's, I can think of one more. How about outlawing these 'custom' textbooks that are supposedly made specially for such and such college? In reality, 99% of these books are the same mass produced book, with a different cover or such. All it really does is give the schools a loophole to bypass the intent of this law, because those custom edition books have different ISBNs then normal books.
I personally hate the government getting involved, I think its the student's responsibility to demand the school to disclose such information but I still get your money. The methods that are being used these days are outrageous.
New editions every year
"custom" editions (as you said)
and the worst one of them all - online access keys. The company notorious for this is Pearson education. They have the products called, "mymathlab" "myitlab" so on so forth. Teachers will REQUIRE you to purchase a subscription to these sites and they run for 80-100$ each. No way around it, you HAVE to buy it.
I personally hate the government getting involved, I think its the student's responsibility to demand the school to disclose such information but I still get your money. The methods that are being used these days are outrageous.
New editions every year
"custom" editions (as you said)
and the worst one of them all - online access keys. The company notorious for this is Pearson education. They have the products called, "mymathlab" "myitlab" so on so forth. Teachers will REQUIRE you to purchase a subscription to these sites and they run for 80-100$ each. No way around it, you HAVE to buy it.
I had MyMathLab, it was required for the one and only on-line course I took. The access code came with the book (if bought new). Or students had the option to purchase the code (if bought used book) or to purchase the on-line version of the book, which came with the access code.
Custom editions....I've only had one custom edition textbook, and the only thing that made it custom was that the particular professor (or school?) had a few chapters removed. I don't know why, I mean, we could have just skipped over those chapters like all the other profs do. Come to think of it, it does seem a sneaky way to get 'force' students to buy the book from the bookstore.
As for new editions...perhaps it is my major (science, essentially), but new editions of the science textbooks I use(d) come out once every 3 to 5 years, average. And, to my knowledge, textbooks that produce a frequent 'revised' edition, only do so to stave off the used text-book market...so they say.
Well I'll disagree on the custom books and the keys. My school used them and they were essential.
Most of the textbooks we buy were at one point a custom-edition. It's an evolution. It starts with a syllabus. Then evolves into a thicker packet of supplemental information because none of the textbooks on the market adequately reflect the course curriculum. Eventually the supplemental information becomes extensive enough that the printing of it has to be done by the university press--a custom book. Then the custom book gets shopped around to textbook publishers and maybe one day it gets picked up and is distributed to universities all over the country. That's how all textbooks come into existence--actually that's how all books of all kinds are created. They are written and then released in a limited run, and then get picked up by a publisher. And I know I'd rather buy a book that is written specifically for the course I'm taking, and whose proceeds go directly to my school, than buy a book that contains a lot of superfluous information I don't need, and whose profits go to some distant publisher.
I had access codes not for books but for software, and I couldn't have completed my degree without them. The access codes cost me perhaps $100 over the course of my degree, for 4 or 5 graphics, drafting and animation programs. To buy the software would have cost me close to 2 grand. Financial Aid just doesn't cover an expense like that.
It's important to remember too, this is college. Students are free to do whatever they want. If you think there's a book out there with another cover and ISBN number that has the same content, you can buy it. No one is stopping you. You can research the required books and find out not only if there is a cheaper source than the campus bookstore, but also if there is a similar version under a different cover or ISBN, or even decide whether or not to buy a book at all. You are an adult, and you are expected to exercise your own initiative and judgement. No one is going to force you or babysit you or inspect your dorm room desk.
I agree with killer2021, we shouldn't rely on the govt to fix this problem (or many other problems for that matter). Students can contact their profs before the start of class and ask for information about the textbook, no need to get the govt involved! I have experienced vague book descriptions on the campus bookstore's website but I still managed to get most of my books from amazon. They recently started posting the ISBN which does help, though.
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