HI, Jim
Thanks for sharing this information about reducing the cost of student textbooks.
The University Faculty Senate has recommended for several years that these costs be reduced. We simply need to be careful that faculty are involved in the decision of which texts to use. Faculty are responsible for course content so they need some significant input about learning materials such as texts.
The blog you sent listed some modest but worthy goals. Two years ago, the Music Department started to list textbooks for upcoming semesters on the Music Department website. We made our list approximately l5 months before the upcoming semester so students would have a chance to search for the least expensive source of the required text.
Unfortunately, we have not been able to update this information in recent semesters, although I thought it had become a college requirement. I agree with all of you that anything we can do to cut the cost of texts will be an important service to our students.
Thanks
Janet
Dr. J. Nepkie
SUNY Distinguished Service Professor
Professor of Music and Music Industry
Fine Arts 145
State University College
Oneonta, NY 13820
tele: (607) 436 3425
fax: 607 436 2718