Looking at Complying with the
Higher Education Opportunity
Act on Book Costs
SAIR
October 17-20 2009
Dallas TX
Gerry McLaughlin, DePaul University
Josetta McLaughlin, Roosevelt University
Joseph McLaughlin, Clemson University
Rapid rise in prices attributed to:
• Higher than normal inflation in the printing
business.
• The limited market for textbooks.
• The enhancement of textbooks to include
more expensive graphics.
• Textbook "bundling" with CD-ROMs and
other supplemental materials.
• The publishing of new books to cover minor
subject changes, lowering the resale value of
existing textbooks.
How to Lower Textbook Costs in American Colleges
Publisher Requirement
For Fall 2010
133 (c) Information provided by Publisher
– The price at which the publisher makes the
textbook or material available to bookstore
– Copyright dates of the three previous editions
– Description of substantial content revisions
– Availability in any other format, including
paperback and unbound – and price
– Unbundled cost of materials
Institutional “Requirement”
133. (d)…to the maximum extent practicable…
1) 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 used for
preregistration and registration purposes…
Except ( 133.d continued)
(A) if ISBN not available …then … include in the
Internet course schedule the author, title,
publisher, and copyright date…; and
(B) if (institution determines)…not practicable..,
then the institution shall so indicate by placing
the designation “To Be Determined’ in lieu of the
information required under this subsection; and
2) if applicable, include on the institution’s
written course schedule a notice that
textbook information is available on the
institution’s Internet course schedule, and the
Internet address for such schedule.
Alternatives
• Provide down-loads from Book store
companies with search capability.
• Build “shopping cart” into preregistration
system.
• Use historical estimate where actual data
are not available.
• Key is to identify the book (ISBN and
edition) for the class and section.
Issue
• In some courses, materials depend on the
instructor and in some cases the instructor is
not known until a week or so before the class
starts.
• Examples:
– Over-enrolled sections are split.
– Adjuncts are hired a limited time before classes
• Suggestion: Combine a designation of
“Instructor not assigned” with “To be
Determined” and provide data based on prior
classes with a warning that this is an
estimate.
Issue
• Some sequence classes use the same book or
materials for multiple courses in the sequence.
• Examples:
– Accounting, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer
Science and multiple sequence courses – often
not entry level courses.
– Course Labs requiring lab equipment,
– Theatre and Art classes requiring core supplies.
• Suggestion: Provide explanation in notes to the
cost material.
Issue
• Materials are bundled.
• Examples:
– Science courses with labs.
– Management courses with case studies and
simulations on-line.
– Computer courses with student software that
has a time window after first use
• Suggestion: Information about the bundle
and the required edition needs to be made
available on the web.
Issue
• Some faculty do not list their books in the
book store inventory.
• Examples:
– Some faculty encourage students to purchase
at alternative source.
– Some materials are instructor created and
priced based on institutional/program policies.
• Suggestion: Based on legal advice about
your book store contract and with
participation of academic affairs interpret
federal guidelines and establish a policy.
The Requirement (133. continued)
(e) AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION FOR
COLLEGE BOOKSTORES.—
…institution…shall make available to a
college bookstore
1) the institution’s course schedule for the
subsequent academic period;
2) for each course or class…—
(A) the information required by subsection (d)(1) …
(B) the number of students enrolled in such course
or class; and
(C) the maximum student enrollment for such
course or class.
Issue
• This is a very vague requirement
• Examples
– It is not known when the reporting requirement of
actual enrollments is supposed to happen
– The actual enrollment is a moving number that
starts at zero prior to enrollment and changes
through the drop-add period.
• Suggestion: Comply in spirit. Include
historical census date enrollments. Check
industry standards/Federal Requirements.
The “Encouragement”
(f) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.—An institution
disclosing the information required by
subsection (d)(1) is encouraged to disseminate
to students information regarding—
(1) available institutional programs for renting textbooks
or for purchasing used textbooks;
(2) available institutional guaranteed textbook buy-back
programs;
(3) available institutional alternative content delivery
programs; or
(4) other available institutional cost-saving strategies.
Issue
• This may put the institution at risk.
• Examples:
– Identifying less expensive alternatives may be
seen as endorsement.
– Suggesting less expensive alternatives may be
inconsistent with bookstore contract.
• Suggestion: Based on legal advice about
your book store contract and participation
of academic affairs interpret federal
guidelines and establish a policy.
Options: US News
• Free – Library, Instructor, Barter systems
• Rent – Retailers, web services
• Major Discounts – web shopping, used
books
• Small Discounts - retailers
http://www.usnews.com/education/paying-for-college/articles/2009/09/02/4ways-to-get-college-textbooks-free.html
Free
• Library (Very limited books, extensive articles)
• Professors Copies (Very limited – legal issues)
• Online (136,000,000 hits – free college textbooks)
– Project Gutenberg (mostly authors dead for 50
years)
(http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page )
– Barley (http://www.bartleby.com/ )
– Hardbacks, Paperbacks, Textbooks Are All Free.
Join In Seconds! http://www.SwapTree.com
http://www.usnews.com/education/paying-for-college/articles/2009/09/02/4ways-to-get-college-textbooks-free.html
Barter Systems
• “Bookins is a website where you can easily
trade books and more with other readers.
• Bookins arranges for trades—from you to one
member and from a third member back to you,
and so on. You never have to contact anyone,
waste time, or deal with unpleasantness. You
don’t even have to visit the post office. The
correct postage for your shipment is provided
from the website.”
http://www.bookins.com/
Options: e-Books
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hundreds of thousands free/purchase on Internet
Publishers are converting their back-lists.
Many new titles are available at a lower price.
Adjustable type-size makes large-type editions.
Add-ons to most make Audio-Books.
Search text for any word, then bookmark result.
E-Publishers offer small runs of books at affordable
prices.
• Many out-of-print classics are available.
Copied with editing from
http://home.wanadoo.nl/cecilia.mccabe/instructions.htm
Amazon Kindle Program
• “Beginning this fall, some students at Case
Western Reserve University in Cleveland will be
given large-screen Kindles with textbooks for
chemistry, computer science and a freshman
seminar already installed..,”
• “Amazon has worked out a deal with several
textbook publishers to make their materials
available for the device..,”
• Note: This can be like rent and may “time-out”
Wall Street Journal, May 5,2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124146996831184563.html
Text Book Modules
• Connexions,
– based at Rice University in Houston, Texas
– has amassed 14,000 "modules“
– can be selected to assemble into textbooks,
known as collections.
– "We welcome everybody to contribute," says
Connexions' community development
specialist Jonathan Emmons. "We are not
putting a restriction on who can use our
content."
Scientific America, August 14, 2009
Open Source e-books
• California Learning Resource Network
(CLRN)
– "open-source digital textbooks“
– Focuses on K-12 books at present
– Submissions are rated based on the match
with California standards
– Currently involves three nonprofit
organizations and textbook company Pearson
– CK-12 Foundation submitted seven books, all
with impressive CLRN scores
Scientific America, August 14, 2009
Ohio Textbook Portal
• “Students taking classes at an Ohio college,
university, or adult workforce center can buy
eTextbooks and save approximately 50% off the
price of a new print textbook…”
• “Also those at any of the System's private college
and university partners that are members of the
Ohio Library Information Network (OhioLINK) –
can access FREE or DISCOUNTED eTextbooks
through our discount textbook search engine.”
http://textbooks.uso.edu/
The way it Was
Author
Publisher
Vendor
$
$
$
Cost
Book Store
$
Student
The way it May Be
Author
Publisher
$
Student
Vendor
$
$
Book Store
Cost
Student
The Way it May Be
• Like Music dispersion
– Share music for free (advertising)
– Single song/modules
– Sell remixes and combinations
– Show a little – sell the rest
– Rent the song
– Cut out the middle of the “supply chain”
– Textbook clubs by membership
– New publisher for any book (author/publisher)
Relative Costs
• In general
– If a book cost X$
– Used is 75% X$
– Rent is 50% X$
– Buy-back is 25%-0%X $ depending on re-use
– Barter is ?$
– “Free” is occasionally available
– There must be a sustainable business model
for publisher and author.
The Study :Fall 2008
• A list of 16,803 books and materials was
obtained - identified to the bookstore by
faculty as related to their courses.
• Only 6,038 required materials were analyzed.
• The costs of the required books and
materials were then computed for the 2,715
unique sections.
• The average was computed for 1,290 unique
courses.
Table 1
Average Costs by Discipline and Course Level
Discipline
Commerce
Communication
Computer and Digital Media
Education
Humanities
ISP-LSP
Law
Music
Natural Science
School for New Learning
Social Studies
Theatre
Total
Level of Course Number
100
200
300-700
$153.78
$112.94
$152.88
$120.25
$ 93.71
$ 95.14
$ 45.85
$ 79.31
$ 94.96
$ 24.98
$126.36
$101.02
$108.58
$ 81.47
$ 70.44
$ 41.28
$ 58.19
$ 25.00
$155.66
$116.51
$127.33
$102.95
$ 49.12
$ 72.91
$201.52
$141.86
$149.59
$ 77.91
$ 63.10
$ 51.77
$100.65
$ 93.88
$102.47
$ 46.36
$109.14
$ 58.78
$116.37
$ 85.97
$111.69
Total
$149.09
$ 97.83
$ 85.01
$100.88
$ 92.49
$ 47.51
$136.68
$ 81.40
$171.96
$ 62.05
$ 99.72
$ 73.62
$106.52
Table 2
Number of Sections by Discipline and Course Number Level:
Discipline
Commerce
Communication
Computer and Digital Media
Education
Humanities
ISP_LSP
Law
Music
Natural Science
School for New Learning
Social Studies
Theatre
Total
Level of Course Number
100
200
300-700
77
42
306
11
43
26
35
133
214
2
5
165
265
175
106
58
36
1
50
9
82
25
13
14
104
36
89
37
88
66
105
86
148
18
23
22
787
689
1,239
Total
425
80
382
172
546
95
141
52
229
191
339
63
2,715
Table 3
Distribution of Costs by Discipline
Discipline
% of Sections Costing This Amount or Less
95%
75%
50%
25%
5%
Commerce
$223.15
$192.85
$155.20
$125.70
$ 39.95
Communication
$162.57
$114.08
$ 98.35
$ 79.38
$ 39.95
Computers and Digital Media
$166.65
$118.00
$ 74.98
$ 49.95
$ 30.10
Education
$178.64
$127.61
$101.50
$ 66.43
$ 32.08
Humanities
$162.39
$134.11
$ 84.50
$ 54.96
$ 24.95
ISP_LSP
$119.76
$ 56.75
$ 40.75
$ 24.48
$ 14.99
Law
$216.50
$173.65
$147.20
$ 86.10
$ 50.95
Music
$173.05
$103.70
$ 60.55
$ 39.95
$ 31.82
Natural Science
$311.46
$211.35
$157.50
$120.20
$ 66.28
School for New Learning
$126.45
$ 81.80
$ 57.80
$ 28.95
$ 10.50
Social Studies
$189.51
$134.35
$ 96.00
$ 63.38
$ 28.95
Theatre
$208.72
$106.60
$ 36.40
$ 23.33
$ 12.40
University
$208.35
$141.40
$ 99.65
$ 55.95
$ 23.30
Costs For 20 Most Frequently Taken Classes
Course
COMPOSITION & RHETORIC I
EXPLORE CHICAGO
SOPH SEM:MULTCULTURALSM
PHILOSOPHY AND ITS ISSUES
DISCOVER CHICAGO
BUSINESS CALCULUS I
MATH LITERACY I
PRINCIPLES MICROECON
PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING
BUSINESS CALCULUS II
BASIC WRITING II
LEGAL/ETHCL ENVIRON BUSNS
INTRO TO ACCOUNTING I
Subject
WRD
ISP
ISP
PHL
ISP
BMS
ISP
ECO
MKT
BMS
WRD
BLW
ACC
#
103
102
200
100
103
125
120
105
301
126
102
201
101
College
LA&S
LA&S
LA&S
LA&S
LA&S
Commerce
LA&S
Commerce
Commerce
Commerce
LA&S
Commerce
Commerce
Enrolled
1,598
1,401
1,113
1,077
1,006
688
559
491
477
474
470
461
452
Cost New
123.54
46.91
59.99
44.47
34.68
137.15
N/A
151.95
147.62
142.15
142.72
208.00
197.85
COLLEGE ALGEBRA/PRECALC
MAT
130
LA&S
450
162.99
MANAGEMENT INFO SYSTEMS
MIS
340
Commerce
432
192.85
INTRO PSYCHOLOGY I
PSY
105
LA&S
402
128.19
PRINCIPLES MACROECON
FOUNDATN ADULT LEARNING
ECO
LL
106
250
Commerce
SNL
396
392
139.66
13.74
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
MKT
310
Commerce
387
194.35
MGMT CONCEPTS/PRACTICES I
MGT
300
Commerce
384
133.35
Study Summary
• The average cost for books and materials in a
course section is approximately $100. Used
materials are available for approximately 75% of
this cost.
• The most expensive courses are, on the average,
in Natural Science. In some of these cases this
also involves the cost for laboratories which go
with the courses and have their own requirements
for books and materials.
• While the categories are somewhat
homogeneous, the averages can be misleading.
For example, in Computer and Digital Media, the
Computer courses are significantly more
expensive than the Digital Media courses.
Conclusions
• The text book requirements from the
HEOA are designed to reduce the costs of
books and materials to students.
• This will require additional work by
publishers and universities.
• There are issues in complying with HEOA
but it does sometimes say “To the
maximum extent practicable” and
“encouraged” .