Lowering the Cost of Textbooks
UA implementing various measures to reduce textbook costs for students.
The Arizona Board of Regents on Thursday reviewed its first annual report on how the three state universities are helping to reduce the costs of textbooks for students.
At The University of Arizona, textbook saving initiatives have resulted in more than $2.7 million in savings to students, according to the report.
In September 2006, the regents appointed a task force to evaluate the escalating costs of textbooks and related materials. The group's charge was to report its findings and make recommendations to the regents on how to mitigate textbook costs for students. The recommendations, which were approved by the regents in June 2007, included:
- Ensuring that each university bookstore implemented a “low-price guarantee.”
- Establishing a uniform deadline before the buy-back period for textbook orders to generate more funds for students returning used textbooks.
- Creating or expanding a textbook rental program.
- Establishing procedures to increase the number of textbook orders submitted by faculty on time.
The UA is in full compliance with the new guidelines and has implemented or enhanced various savings programs that go beyond the recommendations made by the task force.
Deadlines for when students can sell books back to the UA BookStore were moved 30 days closer to the end of the semester. In addition, students receive an additional 10 percent if they accept store credit instead of cash for their textbooks.
The UA BookStore also implemented a “low-price guarantee.” If a student finds a lower price on a textbook at a bookstore near the campus, he or she will receive double the difference in cash.
Textbook prices were reduced to compete with prices on Amazon.com. Also, electronic versions of certain textbooks now are available to students for 45 percent off the price of traditional textbooks.
“Creativity is really important and staying on top of trends is really important,” said Melissa Vito, vice president for student affairs at the UA. Vito cites strong engagement with students and faculty, along with enhanced use of technology resources, as being key factors in creating the cost-saving programs.
Also at Thursday's meeting, held in Flagstaff at Northern Arizona University, the regents approved the UA’s capital development plan for fiscal year 2009, authorizing the UA to proceed with four new projects, three resubmitted projects and three previously approved projects.
The regents also approved the appointment of directors for the Research Park Development Corp., provided project implementation approval for the new UA Science Center/Arizona State Museum facility in downtown Tucson and approved a land exchange between the UA and KB Home.
In other business, the regents approved the academic strategic plans for the UA, NAU and Arizona State University. The plans profile all of the academic degree programs that are expected to be established, changed or eliminated in the upcoming year.
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