Textbook prices
Read an article by Confessions of a Community College Dean on Textbooks
Some students have been complaining about the price of textbooks for certain classes. Curious, I went to the bookstore and roamed the stacks, seeing just what they’re paying.
Wow.
The students are right. The costs are absurd.
Intro to [a popular foreign language] — $200.
He starts out getting it, then rambles on about how not much can be done by the College.
Come on now, why would an introductory language class *need* a new textbook? Language instruction changes very slowly. Why not pick the best from the last decade’s editions and use only used textbooks?
And your complaints about a system where the college buys the books seem poorly thought out. The *point* of such a system is to put the college in the crunch zone. And the college is better able to handle it–pressure publishers, reuse books, or pick inexpensive titles.