Study: Faculty-student planning can reduce textbook costs

Textbook costs continue to grow, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison will do even more to help students plan for the expenses and learn of ways to keep them in check.

The finding is the core of a recent study identifying how the university has helped students address textbook costs and how it plans to help in the future. The report, along with others from institutions around the University of Wisconsin System, is being presented to the Board of Regents during its meeting Thursday and Friday, Dec. 6-7.

A typical first-year undergraduate, taking the typical first-year course load — including introductory chemistry, calculus, a foreign language, English 100 or Communication Arts 100, introductory psychology, introductory economics and a handful of other courses — can expect to pay more than $700 for textbooks in the first year.

"While this is a fraction of the total cost to attend UW–Madison, it’s not insignificant," says Aaron Brower, vice provost for teaching and learning and chair of the Textbook Costs Task Force.

"At the very least, the university has the responsibility to help students anticipate and manage the cost for textbooks as they calculate the total price to attend UW–Madison," he adds. "Textbook costs should not be a barrier for attendance."

The study focused on textbooks purchased for introductory courses taken in their 100- and 200-level courses. Although some UW campuses and others around the country have experimented with textbook-rental programs, several major barriers stand in the way of such a program operating here.

UW-Madison offers approximately 3,200 lectures and 11,000 course sections each semester, or approximately 1,000 lectures and 2,500 course sections at the 100-200 level, each semester. Unlike many other UW institutions, UW–Madison does not own a bookstore.

"We simply don’t believe that a textbook-rental program operated by the university is feasible," Brower says. "In addition to concerns for competition with the private sector, the university’s initial capital investment would be too high and too risky for this effort to be undertaken. Logistical considerations, such as the requirement for enormous space for warehousing and a large staff to manage the rental program would also be daunting."

In addition to current efforts already under way to assist students, instructors should inform students of what books will be required two to three weeks ahead of a semester to allow time to shop to find the best deal, either online or in stores in town.

With an anticipated launch next fall, Course Guide, accessed through the My UW portal, will be the primary mechanism to provide students with textbook information.

The project will provide course information, including textbook information, in an easily accessible format for students. The system will have the ability to display information about courses and instructors in addition to the basics currently available in the Catalog and Timetable.

"As students ‘drill down’ into faculty/instructor-specific course information, they will be able to find current course textbook titles and ISBN numbers," says Joanne Berg, vice provost for enrollment management. "This information will give students the chance to seek the lowest prices for their texts."

In addition, the expectation that updated textbook information should be available two to three weeks ahead of the semester will be set and reinforced to students and faculty and instructors through a variety of mechanisms, including during Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR), via up-to-date information and recommendations communicated through various campus Web sites, during orientations for new faculty and through routine e-mails to faculty and instructors at the beginning of each semester.

Students will also be encouraged to communicate directly with faculty and instructors to receive the textbook information that they need.

"We believe that these initiatives will increasingly allow students to use market pressure as they make decisions to purchase textbooks at the lowest costs," Brower says. "With timely information, students will be able to search the entire world before making their purchases."