Dear Smith College students, faculty and staff,
In intro-level economics classes, professors teach students that monopolies are bad for consumers and the economy while they are supporting monopolies themselves. In fact, many intro-level STEM classes use sites such as Mylab or Cengage to submit homework. Access codes to these sites are single-use, only available to one student for a limited time. Students access their textbooks, problem sets and homework through these websites. Each student must pay full price for a new string of serial numbers, otherwise they cannot do their homework. Smith tries to maintain accessible higher education, but education is unfair when students have to pay to submit their assignments.
According to Open Textbook Alliance’s research, 65% of students have bypassed buying textbooks due to the cost. Although Smith College offers many aid programs aside from financial aid, purchasing textbooks is still a burden to students. Furthermore, giving out textbook aid is an unsustainable method of helping students. Smith should shift to a more sustainable system and start using Open Educational Resources (OERs).
OERs are not a compromise for schools, professors or students. They receive government funding and international aid from organizations like the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Groups of professors worldwide work on these resources so students can read and print legally and for free.
Smith College should take the lead in converting to OER. If we successfully transition to Open Educational Resources, Smith College will set the example for school systems around the United States to make education fairer and more accessible.
Best,
Sherry Li
Smith PIRG Campus Action
