Home > Metro

Legislature hits the books

By James Kruger
jkruger1@mscd.edu

A bill that could save college students money on textbooks entered the next phase in becoming law when the Colorado Senate Committee on Education unanimously approved it Feb. 9.

The College Textbook Affordability Act, sponsored by Sen. Ron Tupa (D-Boulder), and Rep. John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins), would force publishers to allow faculty to buy textbooks “unbundled. “Such books come without the extra CDs and supplementary items, such as workbooks and reference materials, which add to their cost. A cost that Tupa said was too high.

“I consider it price gouging,” Tupa said. “That is the heart and soul of this bill: to save students money — to provide those services unbundled.”

If passed this year, the bill would take effect in July 2009, Tupa said. The measure would affect college students across Colorado because professors would be able to select a book at a lower cost without the added extras in situations where such items wouldn’t be used or needed.

However, Bruce Hildebrand, the executive director for education for the Association of American Publishers, testified before the committee that 86 percent of professors do use the supplemental materials that come with textbooks.

He also said students aren’t obligated to buy books from a campus bookstore, adding they are available from hundreds of sources, ranging in price from $25-$125.

The bill would also require publishers to actively disclose what changes were made since the previous edition, providing professors with the information required to determine whether or not an older and cheaper version would be acceptable for the course content.

Publishers aren’t required to actively provide faculty with a book’s wholesale price when promoting it.

Metro Student Government Assembly President Jack Wylie, who co-wrote and lobbied for the bill on behalf of the Associated Students of Colorado, said professors would choose a cheaper book if the information was more readily available.

“They (the publishers) withhold or make it difficult for professors to get this information,” he said, referring to the current policy that doesn’t require publishers to list the price of a book in materials given to faculty.

Hildebrand testified that prices were available from hundreds of sources and professors currently have the ability to check them.

Seven other states have passed similar legislation in an effort to make textbooks more affordable, including California, which still allows publishers to bundle textbooks. The sponsors of the bill have fought to keep language out of the bill that would still allow bundling.

In attendance at the committee hearing were representatives from eight Colorado educational institutions, including Metro and the CCD, to testify regarding the high price of textbooks.

And while the sponsors expect it to pass, students and supporters said it isn’t a comprehensive solution to the high cost of textbooks.

Wylie said if the bill is made law, there would be campus campaigns to educate professors, so when they choose a book required for a class, they choose the cheapest option, such as a book without supplementary materials or an older edition.

“It’s not a silver bullet. Textbooks will still be overpriced, and there’s still work to do to make them more affordable,” Wylie said.

Now that it has passed the education committee, the bill is expected to go before the Senate on Friday for the first vote.

A second vote will be required before it can go to the House.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to contact their district senator to voice their complaints or their support of the bill.

Information to determine which senator represents your district can be found on the Colorado General Assembly’s website at www.leg.state. co.us.