REQUEST FOR ACTION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 
 
All requests may be typed and submitted to the Executive Vice President no later 5:00 p.m. Thursday in order to be included in the agenda for the following Tuesday. The Executive Vice President reserves the right to delay the Request for Action to a later Council session if the Executive Vice President feels the agenda for the next schedule meeting is full.
 
Item Number: 60 Legislation Number (B: Bill, R: Resolution): R40-41
Author:   Wigginton   Second:  Giang
Synopsis: Textbook Resolution
Date of Presentation: 3/1/2005
 
Whereas, according to a survey by the California Student Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), students will spend an average of $898 per year on textbooks in the2003-04 school year, or almost 20 percent of the cost of in-state fees, and

Whereas, in contrast, a 1997 University of California survey found that students spent an average of $642 on textbooks in 1996-97, and

Whereas, textbook publishers use gimmicks to increase the price of textbooks, and

Whereas, textbook publishers add supplements to textbooks, such as CD-ROMs and workbooks that over 65% of faculty surveyed say they ?rarely? or ?never? use, and

Whereas, textbook publishers put new editions on the market frequently, often with few content changes, making the less expensive used editions obsolete and unavailable, and

Whereas, over fifty-nine percent of students surveyed who searched for a used book for the fall 2003 quarter/semester were unable to find even one used book for their classes, and

Whereas, textbook publishers are unfairly charging students at a time when tuition and other college costs are rising, therefore,

Therefore, Let it be resolved that ASUCI calls upon college textbook publishers to adopt the following practices:
? To keep the cost of producing textbooks as low as possible without sacrificing educational content;
? To give faculty and students the option of buying textbooks separately, without supplements;
? To keep textbook editions on the market as long as possible without sacrificing the educational content.
? To give preference to paper or on-line supplements to current editions over producing entirely new editions.
? To pass on cost-savings to students once purely online textbooks are on the market;
? To disclose to faculty members all of the different products they sell, including both bundled and unbundled options, list how much each of those products cost, the length of time they intend to produce the current edition, and how the newest edition is different from the previous edition;

Let it further be resolved that ASUCI calls upon faculty to both give preference to the least cost textbook option when the educational content is equal and to press publishers to adopt the above practices.

Let it further be resolved that ASUCI calls upon the University to encourage as many forums for students to purchase as many used books as possible, including rental programs and book-swaps.

Let it finally be resolved that ASUCI will forward a copy of this resolution to the following parties: the Association of American Publishers, Chancellor Cicerone, the New U, and CALPIRG.
 
Referred to: Rules Committee on: Rules: Pass
Vote Required: Majority FINAL VOTE: Passed YEA: 11 NAY: 0  ABS: 1
 
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE ON THE DATE OF 3/8/2005 HAS TAKEN ACTION ON THIS LEGISLATION.    
   
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Executive Vice President, ASUCI      Verification of Executive Cabinet