Associated Students

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF AFFORDABLE TEXTBOOKS

Adopted March 7, 2005

Whereas,           according to a survey by the California Student Public Interest Research

Group (CALPIRG), students spent an average of $898 per year on textbooks

in the 2003-04 school year, or almost 20 percent of the cost of in-state fees,

and

Whereas,           in contrast, a 1997 University of California survey found that students spent

an average of $642 on textbooks in 1996-97, and

Whereas,           textbook publishers “bundle” textbooks with CD-ROMs and workbooks that

over 65% of faculty surveyed say they “rarely” or “never” use, and

Whereas,           textbook publishers put new editions on the market frequently – often with

few content changes – making the less expensive used editions obsolete and

unavailable, and

Whereas,           textbook publishers charge American students more than students overseas

for the same textbooks, and

Whereas,           these new editions make it difficult for students to sell back their textbooks to

the Humboldt State University Bookstore, and

Whereas,           textbook publishers are unfairly charging students at a time when tuition and

other college costs are rising, therefore be it

Resolved,          by the members of The Associated Students call upon college textbook

publishers to adopt the following practices:

·       To keep the cost of producing textbooks as low as possible without

sacrificing educational content;

·       To give faculty and students the option of buying textbooks separately;

·       To keep textbook editions on the market as long as possible without

sacrificing the educational content;

·       To give preference to paper or on-line supplements to current editions

over producing entirely new editions;

·       To disclose to faculty members all of the different products they sell -

including both bundled and unbundled options, list how much each of

those products cost, the length of time they intend to produce the current

edition, and how the newest edition is different from the previous edition;

and be it further

Resolved,          that The Associated Students call upon faculty to give preference to the least

cost textbook option when the educational content is equal and to press

publishers to adopt the above practices, and be it further

Resolved,          that The Associated Students call upon the University to encourage as many

opportunities for students to purchase used books as possible, including the

Associated Students Book Exchange and the Humboldt State University

Bookstore, and be it further

Resolved,          that the HSU Bookstore negotiate with publishers for a complimentary

University Access Copy to be placed in the HSU Library, and be it further

Resolved,          that The Associated Students will forward a copy of this resolution to the

following parties: the Association of American Publishers, HSU President

Rollin Richmond, Provost Richard Vrem, All HSU College Deans, Sharmon Kenyon, Dean of the Library, the HSU Academic Senate, the California

Faculty Association, the California State Student Association, the HSU

University Center, the HSU Bookstore, CALPIRG and the Lumberjack

News and local media.

Drafted by: CALPIRG

Revised and authored by: Michelle Woo

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Approved:

Kyle Zeck, Legislative Vice President

Samantha William-Gray, President