Gear up, because a battle is beginning that will be waged between the students and faculty.  The subject: the fate of the textbook rental system.

Currently, students pay $114 in student fees, and in return are granted the use of the state’s only textbook rental system among its 16 schools. 

 Most students in the UNC system have to pay for their textbooks and usually end up spending approximately $400 for books they’ll use for a semester.  At the end of the semester, they get back about ten percent of that cost if they want to return (resell) the books.  If the book is not being used the next semester, then the student does not get any money back.

The faculty’s argument is that the books are out of date when the students need to use them.  But the textbooks are intended to be used as supplements for learning, not the primary source.  If all students needed to get a college education were a few books, they’d just buy them, read them and then send for their degree.   

In most cases, new books aren’t necessary every year.  History and literature don’t  change that often.  While there are advancements made in the sciences on a regular basis, professors can find alternate sources to teach the new material.    

Faculty also claim that students need to keep the books after they graduate to help them in their field.  We can understand that a FEW of the books in our majors MAY be helpful, but do we really need to keep our freshman English or sociology books?  Doesn’t that also refute the fact that the books are out of date?  Why would students want to keep books that are so out of date that even the professors don’t want to use them?

Even if students do decide that they want to keep their books, they have the option of buying them from the bookstore at the end of the semester.  

Appalachian State is known for providing a quality education at an affordable price.   We at The Appalachian think that it should stay that way.   A great deal of students consider Appalachian State because it is so affordable.  Do we really want to lose potential students because we change the book rental system?      

Requiring students to purchase their books will not enhance their education.  It will only limit the availability of it.