To the Editor:
Spring classes are underway and it’s time to purchase required course materials. Unfortunately, 65% of college students will have to make do without some of their assigned textbooks. Others will have to drop classes because the cost of required materials is simply too high.
Textbooks prices have risen 812% between 1978 and 2013. Meanwhile, book publishers have developed strategies to prevent students from purchasing used copies or even sharing books with friends. Individual-use access codes necessary to complete homework force students to spend around $200 on brand-new copies of books.
This textbook market monopoly needs to be dismantled. With Open Education Resources (OERs), we already have the tools to do that. Students can view these books online, download and print them without having to pay. Faculty can use these resources to create custom class content too.
Institutions like UMass Amherst have already started transitioning to this model. It’s time for Smith to do the same. We need faculty to prioritize OERs when assigning class materials, and the administration to support this statewide campaign. By increasing the higher education innovation fund to $5 million, the Massachusetts state government can save students millions of dollars for years to come.
Paula Suwwan Buaiz
