Textbooks cost HOW much???

Calculus
James Stewart

Economics
N. Gregory Mankiw

Chemistry
Theodore E. Brown

The Problem

Student loan debt outpaced credit card debt for the first time last year and is likely to top a trillion dollars this year.

The Problem
Students should expect to spend

$1137
per year
- College Board

The Problem
26% of tuition
@ public 4-year

72% of tuition
@ comm. College

- GAO

Textbooks vs. Inflation

250%
200% 150% 100%

Prices are rising

Textbooks

4 times
inflation

Inflation
50% 0% 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009

- Student PIRGs

Extensive Research

Market Failure

Abusive Publisher Tactics

Withholding price info from professors

Charging far lower prices overseas

Custom and loose leaf editions sabotage resale Withholding price end up costing more Cheaper e-books info from professors Charging far lower prices overseas Custom and loose leaf editions sabotage resale Cheaper e-books end up costing more

Producer

Consumer

Bookstore

Publisher

Student

Professor

Rx Drug Company

Patient

Doctor

only

$238.95

6th Edition

$224.95
used 5th edition

$81.78

Statistics
with CengageNOW Personal Tutor CD, Student Study Guide, InfoTrac 2-Semester Printed Access Card

$213.95

Solutions

More options to save than ever before

Used Books
75% the new cost in the bookstore 60% of the new cost online Buy from from friends, classmates

Renting
40% of the new cost per semester Online or on campus (new) Up-front savings, no buyback blues

E-Books
50% of the new cost (in print) Usually a 180-day subscription

Some limits on printing and access

E-Readers
Many different devices available Cost $379- $1000+ Additional cost for content

Average Savings
E-Readers 39%

E-Books

52%

Rentals

61%

Used Books

25%

Student Preferences
34%
Rent All Keep Some

25%
Prefer digital

66%

75%
Prefer print

Maximum Savings
E-Readers
1%

E-Books

8%

Rentals

33%

We can do better than that.

Collaborative Statistics
Barbara Illowsky

Principles of Economics
Libby Rittenburg

Calculus
David Guichard

Open Textbooks
Open license

Free online, affordable in print

Available in many flexible formats Adaptable

Open Textbooks
Adopted by 2,000+ classes Used @ Harvard, Caltech, Berkeley

Sustainable models developing

Overall Savings

Publisher

Student

Professor

Publisher

Student

Professor

The Campaign

Exposing the Problem

8 studies on various elements of the issue Generated a TON of media attention Congressional investigation

Organizing Profs
700 prof letter on new editions

UCLA math dept negotiated 25% cut 23-campus Calstate faculty resolution

Price Disclosure Laws

State bills in WA, OR, CT, AZ, MN, CA (sort of) Federal bill passed in 2008, took effect Jul 1, 2010

Price Disclosure Laws

Higher Education Opportunity Act Publishers must disclose prices to professors
Publishers must offer books unbundled Colleges must list books during registration

Promote Open Textbooks

3,000 profs signed statement endorsing open textbooks 1,000+ media hits

Over 2,000 personal meetings asking profs to make the switch

This Fall

Same strategy, new way of doing it

TEXTBOOK REBELLION

Introducing

Mr. $200 Textbook

Textbook Rebel

Part 1: Campus Tour

Larger than life mascot costumes

Driving crosscountry in a van during Sept & Oct

Viz events, social media, media

Part 1: Campus Tour

Part 2: Petition
Against the high cost of textbooks

Great ask for students who want to do something

Online and offline

Part 2: Petition
Not *just* a petition Check the box to send email to profs Kill two birds with one stone

Part 3: United Front

Its a coalition, so invite everyone to join: Student Governments, bookstores, faculty, administration

GOALS
10,000 signatures 5,000 check the box 50,000 profs emailed

If just 1 in 500 profs adopt open textbooks

$1,000,000/sem. $2,000,000/year $20,000,000/decade

Other Stuff You Can Do

Raise awareness of ways to save Increase on-time book orders Get profs to sign open textbook statement Organize presentations

Media attention (LTEs, Op-Eds, etc.)

SGA or faculty senate resolution

See www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks

Rich Williams
Higher Education Advocate rwilliams@pirg.org @HigherEdPIRG

Nicole Allen
Textbooks Advocate
Nicole@studentpirgs.org
www.studentpirgs.org/textbooks