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TEXTBOOK AFFORDABILITYTEXTBOOK AFFORDABILITY

Influencing the Price of Influencing the Price of Textbooks – What Can We Do?Textbooks – What Can We Do?

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• ““The soft-minded man always fears change. He The soft-minded man always fears change. He feels security in the status quo, and he has an feels security in the status quo, and he has an almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the almost morbid fear of the new. For him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea.”greatest pain is the pain of a new idea.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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TEXTBOOK CRISIS!!TEXTBOOK CRISIS!!

• Textbook Costs Have Risen Significantly Textbook Costs Have Risen Significantly since 1985!!!since 1985!!!

• The Average Retail Cost of a MSU The Average Retail Cost of a MSU Textbook in Fall 2008Textbook in Fall 2008– New Textbook - $75.00New Textbook - $75.00– Used Textbook – 56.50Used Textbook – 56.50– Most Expensive Textbook - $254.00Most Expensive Textbook - $254.00

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Some External Elements Some External Elements Influencing Textbook CostsInfluencing Textbook Costs

• Publishers’ Edition ChangesPublishers’ Edition Changes

• Publishers Are Bundling TextbooksPublishers Are Bundling Textbooks

• Increased Photo/Illustrative ContentIncreased Photo/Illustrative Content

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Is the Campus Bookstore A Is the Campus Bookstore A “Rip-Off” to the Students ? “Rip-Off” to the Students ?

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Auxiliary Operations

• The Bookstore is one component of the Auxiliary Enterprises Operation which is self supporting and the State general fund does not support the Auxiliary Enterprises functions.

• Other components of the Auxiliary Services are Residence Life, the Student Center operations, Dining Services, Athletics, and the Parking & Shuttle operations and administration

• Revenue generated by these activities must exceed expenditures to support facility renewal, repair & maintenance, and other services to students.

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Auxiliary Operations

• The need to be self supporting; and given the size of our enrollment, would determine our average markup which is currently 33%

• Due to the socio-economic background of the majority of Morgan’s Students, the bookstore often must make special arrangements in order to provide effective textbook and related services– This influences the costs of managing the process

• Additional Staff to process the student accounts• Extension of credit for longer than normal periods• Larger than normal un-collectables• Additional costs of inventory management

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Where Does the Money Go?

• FY 2008…

• Total Bookstore Revenue $4,069,462

• Total Expenditures $3,897,342• Which Yields an Excess of $172,120

–Excess of Revenue Over Expenditures»4.2%

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Where Does the Money Go?• These are the net revenues of the other components of Auxiliary

Services

• FY 2008

– Bookstore $172,120– Residence Life ($1,016,336)– Student Center Operations ($47,762)– Dining Services $792,136– Athletics ($877,364)– Parking Operations & Garage ($379,815)– Interest Income $719,279

– Total ($637,742)

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Components of Expenses

70.9

15.2

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5.2 2.7

Supplies & Materials

Salaries & Wages

Fixed Charges

Administrative

Others

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Who Are the Stakeholders?

• Students

• Faculty

• College Administrators

• Bookstore

• Publishers

• Federal, State, & Local Governments

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Legislative RequirementsLegislative Requirements• Federal MandatesFederal Mandates

– Effective July 1, 2010Effective July 1, 2010

• Requires Publishers to Offer Textbooks Requires Publishers to Offer Textbooks and Supplemental Materials “Unbundled”and Supplemental Materials “Unbundled”

• Requires Publishers to Disclose Textbook Requires Publishers to Disclose Textbook Pricing and Revision Information to Pricing and Revision Information to FacultyFaculty

• Requires Universities to provide ISBN Requires Universities to provide ISBN information on University web sitesinformation on University web sites

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State Initiatives

• For the past 4 legislative sessions there have been bills to regulate university bookstore operations.

• They were unsuccessful due to strong representation from publishers, chain bookstores, higher education and the complexities of the issues.

• We have every reason to believe that there will be additional attempts this year, hence the need for stakeholders to agree upon methods to manage textbook prices before they are forced to do so by legislation.

• This group, led by higher education, has been meeting (Higher Education Summit) to arrive at a consensus on how to deal with the issue in Maryland in order to avoid the need for legislation.

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Morgan Input into this Initiative

• Morgan’s representation is led by

– Mrs. Vinetta McCullough, Director of Business and Auxiliary Services

– Dr. Kara Turner, Academic Affairs

– Mrs. Joyce Nelson & Mr. Ron Stevenson of the Bookstore Staff

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Bookstore Initiatives

• Markets Used Books to Students– 25% Less Expensive Depending on Condition

• Through :– Buyback from Students– Buying from the Wholesale Market

• Post ISBN Information to our Web Site for Comparative Shopping

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How Can MSU Faculty Help?How Can MSU Faculty Help?

• Submit Your Text Adoption On Time WhichSubmit Your Text Adoption On Time Which– Ensures that Textbooks are Available for Students on Ensures that Textbooks are Available for Students on

the First Day of Classthe First Day of Class– Allows the Bookstore to Obtain more Used Books for Allows the Bookstore to Obtain more Used Books for

Students Students – Make Available to subsequent purchasers less Make Available to subsequent purchasers less

expensive Textbooks through Book Buy-Backexpensive Textbooks through Book Buy-Back• Timely Adoptions will get $60 - $70 at Buy-Back• Late Adoptions will get $30 - $35

– Minimizes the Need for Last Minute Orders Resulting Minimizes the Need for Last Minute Orders Resulting in Increased Shipping Costsin Increased Shipping Costs

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• Adoptions must be submitted for Each Adoptions must be submitted for Each Course and Each SemesterCourse and Each Semester– Books are not automatically ordered from Books are not automatically ordered from

semester to semestersemester to semester– Adoption DeadlinesAdoption Deadlines

• Fall and Summer Courses – Fall and Summer Courses – May 1May 1stst

• Spring and Winter Courses – Spring and Winter Courses – November 1November 1stst

Adoption Issues

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• Life Cycle of Textbook is Important to the Life Cycle of Textbook is Important to the Final Cost of Books!Final Cost of Books!

• Remember most textbooks are revised after only Remember most textbooks are revised after only 2-3 years from the date of copyright.2-3 years from the date of copyright.

• As a Textbook‘s age increases (from date of As a Textbook‘s age increases (from date of copyright), it’s buyback value decreases.copyright), it’s buyback value decreases.

• The Bookstore will always notify you before The Bookstore will always notify you before classes begin if there is a new edition available.classes begin if there is a new edition available.

Adoption Issues

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Textbook Adoption Cycle

• Bookstore Distributes Adoption Request forms to the Academic Departments

• Academic Departments Forwards Adoption Form to Faculty Teaching the Course

• Faculty Completes Adoption Form and Submits to Departmental Chairperson for Review

• Chairperson Evaluates and if approved, Returns Adoption Form to the Bookstore

• Bookstore Edits and Processes the Textbook

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Other Cost ReductionRecommendations

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Cost Reduction Recommendations

• Select the least expensive book when comparing books of equal educational content– Consider the Stage of the Textbook’s Lifecycle– Ensure thorough review before making a selection

• Order and Recommend only the Books and Materials that will be used– Books not used regularly can be listed as

optional or reserved in the Library

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Custom Textbooks

• Specialized Text Published from Selected Chapters of a Major Textbook– Impact on Textbook Cost

• Full Use of text, Lower Price, Less Bulk

• Must Commit to 2 terms for Cost Savings– However, Has No value Outside of the University

Author/Title Title Retail Price

Starr-Biology Full Version $168.00

Starr-Biology Customized Version

$138.75

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Electronic Textbooks

• The Content of the Entire textbook in Online– Web Access Codes– Can Also Purchase Only Required Chapters of

Textbook

Course Retail Price of Textbook +

Access Code

Retail Price for the Access Code Only

ACCT 201 $193.50 $96.00

PSYC 101 $130.75 $92.00

ACCT 300 $185.50 $92.00

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Alternate Bindings

• Books are also Published with Loose-leaf Binding– Impact of Costs

• Pages must be secured in a Binder• Lack Book Buy-Back value

• Consider Using a “Brief Version” of a Textbook– Summary of Entire Textbook

Textbook Retail Price of

Full Binding

Retail Price of Alternate Binding

Intermediate Accounting

$205.50 Loose-leaf –$133.50

Microbiology $165.50 Brief Ed.- $124.75

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Common Books in the Public Common Books in the Public DomainDomain

Many works of Classic Literature are available for Many works of Classic Literature are available for free online. free online. Washington, Booker T. – Up From SlaveryWashington, Booker T. – Up From Slaverywww.alcyone.com/max/lit/slavery/www.alcyone.com/max/lit/slavery/

Mark, Karl - Communist Mark, Karl - Communist Manifesto Manifesto

www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.htmwww.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/classics/manifesto.htm

Plato - Republic (Translation Jowett)Plato - Republic (Translation Jowett)classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.2.i.htmlclassics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.2.i.html

Shelley, Mary - FrankensteinShelley, Mary - Frankenstein literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/literature.org/authors/shelley-mary/frankenstein/

Douglass, Frederick – Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassDouglass, Frederick – Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglasssunsite3.berkeley.edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/01.htmlsunsite3.berkeley.edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/01.html

Search Project Gutenberg for additional works. Search Project Gutenberg for additional works. www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Pagewww.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

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What Can the Bookstore Further What Can the Bookstore Further Do?Do?

• Focus Groups and Informational SessionsFocus Groups and Informational Sessions

• Comparison of Alternative Versions of Adopted Comparison of Alternative Versions of Adopted TextbooksTextbooks

• Current Edition and ISBN Information on Current Edition and ISBN Information on Bookstore’s Web SiteBookstore’s Web Site

• Online Adoptions are Coming SoonOnline Adoptions are Coming Soon

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THANK YOU!THANK YOU!• April Kheribot, Textbook Manager April Kheribot, Textbook Manager

– Phone:443 - 885 - 3001Phone:443 - 885 - 3001• Email: april.kheribot@morgan.eduEmail: april.kheribot@morgan.edu

• Ron Stevenson, Assistant DirectorRon Stevenson, Assistant Director– Phone: 443 - 885 – 3075Phone: 443 - 885 – 3075

• Email: ron.stevenson@morgan.eduEmail: ron.stevenson@morgan.edu

• Dr. Kara Turner, AcademicsDr. Kara Turner, Academics– Phone: 443 – 885 - 3090Phone: 443 – 885 - 3090

• Email: kara.turner@morgan.eduEmail: kara.turner@morgan.edu• Joyce Nelson, Bookstore DirectorJoyce Nelson, Bookstore Director

– Phone: 443 - 885 – 3593Phone: 443 - 885 – 3593• Email: joyce.nelson@morgan.eduEmail: joyce.nelson@morgan.edu

• Vinetta McCullough, Director of Business & Auxiliary ServicesVinetta McCullough, Director of Business & Auxiliary Services– Phone: 443 - 885 - 3065Phone: 443 - 885 - 3065

• Email: vinetta.mccullough@morgan.eduEmail: vinetta.mccullough@morgan.edu

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• ““We have an obligation and a responsibility to be We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.”money, can still get the best education possible.”

– President Elect Barack ObamaPresident Elect Barack Obama