Editorial: Throw the Book at UC

It's official: Textbook prices are way too high. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, in order to let us know of this little-known fact, published a report on the matter.

According to the report, prices have risen 186 percent in two decades and publishers have been putting out new editions even faster than before. It estimated the average cost of textbooks and supplies to be around $900 per semester for books and supplies. The publishing industry, of course, protested that this was overblown-a "real" estimate would only be in the $500-$600 range. Regardless, both state and federal governments seem to be looking to government regulation. Before the state or federal level decides things have gone too far, UC Berkeley should try to formulate its own policies on choosing cheaper textbooks-or the government may start making the choices for us.

While the GAO has only issued a report denoting average costs, there is a state law that asks California's public colleges and universities to look into ways to lower textbook prices. According to analyst Bruce Hamlett, it hasn't worked. That's not surprising-polite laws aren't usually heeded.

Interestingly, the state Senate is considering a bill that would authorize the state Board of Education to consider price when choosing textbooks and would authorize an independent analysis of the textbook industry to explore why public K-12 textbook prices are so high.

These events reflect a growing trend of state involvement in education. Though this may sound like a good thing, the movement toward more state control over the textbook purchases may bode ill for the flexibility campuses like UC Berkeley enjoy when choosing materials for their courses.

Chancellor Birgeneau has emphasized the importance of financial aid. But reducing textbook costs is one solution that would affect every student. Other colleges around the state are already working to do so. In the meantime, here are a few suggestions to get UC Berkeley started.

One: Don't insist on using the latest version. Not only do new editions force students to buy expensive materials and don't allow them to purchase inexpensive used books, it prevents them from selling their older versions back. Instead, if there's new material to cover, order a reader or put new findings on a Web site. Make the new material or entire textbook available at the library. In fact, here's a novel idea: Use lecture to actually teach about recent developments in the field. There's got to be a reason we come to class.

Two: Don't insist on extra bundled materials, like CDs. These materials, while meant for students' intellectual growth and development, are rarely touched upon in class. There's no point in adding costly gimmicks onto students' already burdened budgets.

These are just a few suggestions, however. Many colleges are already looking into other ways to reduce costs for their students. Diablo Valley College is teaming up with nine other two-year and four-year colleges to try and buy textbooks in bulk at discount rates. Princeton, the University of Oregon and the University of Utah are now offering electronic versions of textbooks at discounts of 30 percent and more. At several University of Wisconsin campuses, students rent their required textbooks, often for a surprisingly low fee-it's $59 for a full-time student at the university's River Falls campus.

Luckily, though UC Berkeley as a whole hasn't been making a concerted effort to reduce prices, there are already professors who are going the extra mile for students. UC Berkeley professor Bob Jacobsen, for example, uses a cheaper, customized textbook. But in order for this to become a standard instead of an anomaly, the university needs to start getting academic departments to encourage instructors to be careful when selecting their materials. Not only is it the right thing to do, it's the law.

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