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Faculty Senate approves textbook changes |
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Tuesday, 04 December 2007 |
by REBECCA GARDNER
News Reporter
A new textbook rental policy has been approved by the Faculty Senate.
Stan R. Aeschleman, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, will discuss the policy Dec. 7 with the Board of Trustees.
“I will be discussing the entire document because the Board of Trustees has not seen any drafts,” Aeschleman said. “With the previous policy, there are now two fundamental changes including reducing the rental cycle from three years to two years and having multiple books for multiple sections.”
The University Bookstore Committee has been working on these changes for three years.
 Rosa J. Hicks, bookstore employee, organizes used books for sale in the textbook section of the University Bookstore. Photo by Anna Donlan
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“The committee has made adjustments to previous policies and statements
on the textbook rental system to more effectively support the goals of
reducing textbook costs to students, preserving departmental and
faculty control of teaching resources, and supporting the overall
educational mission of the university,” according to the Policy for
Faculty Selection of Textbooks and Other Educational Materials.
The committee was appointed by Faculty Senate and is comprised of five
faculty members and three students, all with voting privileges.
There were two motions approved three years ago, when the committee first began.
“The first motion was to abolish the textbook rental policy and the
second motion was to reconstruct and evaluate the textbook rental
policy,” Aeschleman said.
At the Oct. 8 meeting, the Faculty Senate made a motion to amend the
policy and delete the entire last sentence in Section VII of the Policy
for Faculty Selection of Textbooks and Other Educational Materials.
The last sentence of Section VII states, “In some situations, a rental
book might become unsatisfactory for a particular course or become
unsatisfactory before the end of the two-year adoption cycle.”
Previously, only one book would be allotted to faculty for all the sections of a course.
“The new policy permits two or three books to choose from instead of
using the same books the other faculty members are using,” Aeschleman
said.
It depends on the faculty member’s interests, Aeschleman said.
Some students feel there are some minor quirks in the current textbook rental system.
“I forgot to get my books at the beginning of the year and I guess they
send the books back, but I had to borrow my friend’s book,” freshman
technical photography major Lauren A. Ferracane said.
Students also feel like they are currently renting books that do not help them in class.
“The system is good now but I don’t really use my books in some
classes,” freshman biology, pre-professional major Justin R. Horwath
said.
Horwath realizes the benefits of having multiple books.
“I think this policy sounds a lot better and I would much rather use a
book that was included in my tuition than use something else my teacher
wants that is different from the rental system,” Horwath said.
The rental textbook system at Appalachian State University is offered
only to on campus undergraduate students throughout their fall and
spring semesters.
Many students appreciate the textbook system overall.
“I think the textbook rental system is really good because you rent the
books and can turn them in at the end of the year,” Ferracane said.
“It’s not like most schools where you pay for the books and then you
are stuck with them.”
Aeschleman said he believes the new policy is “a great compromise.”
“It is still saving students money and I think it meets the major
concerns the faculty members have about the shortened cycle and gives
faculty the opportunity to have multiple adoptions for multiple
sections,” Aeschleman said.
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