Whereas, the price of textbooks has risen 82% during the last decade [1]; and,

Whereas, research conducted by the College Board has found that the average student spends around $1,200 per year on textbooks; and,

Whereas, the cost of college textbooks is often a major affordability issue for students who take on additional loan debt to pay for textbooks [2]; and,

Whereas, textbook publishers have not responded adequately to the concerns of faculty, students, as well as other groups that are affected by the high costs of textbooks; and,

Whereas, an “open textbook” is defined as an online, free to access, easy to share, and affordable to print textbook written by education professionals under an open license; and,

Whereas, open textbooks offer an affordable, comparable, and flexible alternative to expensive, commercial textbooks; and,

Whereas, it is appropriate to seek and consider low-cost or no-cost options, including open textbooks, as long as there is no reduction in the quality of higher education; and,

Whereas, faculty and students both share concerns about course material affordability and its impact on students access; and,

Whereas, HR 3538 (Hinojosa), known as the Affordable College Textbook Act, directs the Secretary of Education to make competitive grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support programs that expand the use of open textbooks in order to achieve savings for students [3]; and,

Whereas, ASUCI Legislative Council proposed and passed R49-59 (In Support of Alleviating the Financial Burden of Education on Undergraduate Student Body) in February 2014 [4]; and,

Let it be resolved that, ASUCI Legislative Council supports the use of open textbooks; and,

Let it be further resolved that ASUCI Legislative Council encourages faculty to consider open textbooks; and,

Let it be further resolved that ASUCI Legislative Council encourages the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) to offer support to faculty to consider and adopt open textbooks when academically appropriate; and,

Let it be further resolved that ASUCI Legislative Council formally supports HR 3538; and,

Let it be finally resolved that ASUCI Legislative Council sends a letter to Congressman John Campbell, who represents California’s 45^th District [5], in support of HR 3538.

Sources

[1]. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/28/report-high-textbook-prices-have-college-students-struggling

[2]. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/required-reading-textbook-prices-soar-students-try-cope-f8C11140099

[3]. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr3538/text

[4]. https://asuci.uci.edu/legislative/legislations/print.php?cnum=R49-59&gov_branch=ASUCI

[5]. http://campbell.house.gov/about/