kallend 1,623 #1 September 1, 2012 Speaking (actually writing, but WTF) as a college prof (engineering) the price of text books is an embarrassment to my profession. They are absurdly overpriced except for those in the most arcane subjects where the sales volume is miniscule. It's not like the authors are making a fortune from them either. College bookstores are a big rip-off too. I no longer require textbooks in my classes, I just tell my students to pay attention and take good notes, and download my handouts that I post online.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 38 #2 September 1, 2012 +1 lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightingale 0 #3 September 1, 2012 Thank you. It seems that now, with online classes and even traditional classes that are requiring some kind of internet discussion forum, textbook makers have gotten around not making money from used books and are charging students $50-$75 for "online course access" to their classes, or give the access codes free in new books. Now, students can't buy a used book to save $40, because they then have to shell out an extra $50 for the access code. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coreece 190 #4 September 1, 2012 Capitalism's a great thing, in'it?Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969912 0 #5 September 1, 2012 Good! A few of my profs at Cal Poly just wrote their own "textbooks" for sr level courses. The campus copy shop would just print them out for about $10. They were .5 to 1" thick and spiral bound. "Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ." -NickDG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yoink 321 #6 September 1, 2012 Quote Good! A few of my profs at Cal Poly just wrote their own "textbooks" for sr level courses. The campus copy shop would just print them out for about $10. They were .5 to 1" thick and spiral bound. I had professors who went the other way - they made books that they'd authored required literature for their course and it had to be the current version... updated versions every year, of course. Just to gouge the students... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #7 September 1, 2012 Those things are heavy too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjosparky 3 #8 September 2, 2012 Good for you John. SparkyMy idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #9 September 2, 2012 Quote I had professors who went the other way - they made books that they'd authored required literature for their course and it had to be the current version... updated versions every year, of course. Just to gouge the students... Hey, those guys are pikers. In order to really work that system, you get each of your Ph.D candidates to write a chapter.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beeman 0 #10 September 2, 2012 Quote Quote Good! A few of my profs at Cal Poly just wrote their own "textbooks" for sr level courses. The campus copy shop would just print them out for about $10. They were .5 to 1" thick and spiral bound. I had professors who went the other way - they made books that they'd authored required literature for their course and it had to be the current version... updated versions every year, of course. Just to gouge the students... That's something book publishers do too. I've seen books that the publisher changed the units and order of practice problems and called it a "new" edition every year. In which case the professor can either write their own problems (or publish the actual problem statements in the assignment) so that you can get an older edition with the exact same material, or just require the "new" version just so you can do the "new" practice problems for homework. Had a professor do that for thermo a year or two ago. Thank you to the OP for understanding and actually being concerned about teaching. Seems like a lot don't in my experience.well...I was going skydiving anyway. let's go. Earn your pancakes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TriGirl 268 #11 September 2, 2012 I used to say that the price of Physics textbooks was inversely proportional to the size. (Case in point, largest was PHY 151 book, and lowest price -- and available "used" from the bookstore. Smallest was Nuclear Physics, and most expensive). Of course, Nuke was only taught ever other year (sometimes not even that frequently), and since there were only three of us in the class, the prof had to order the books himself. While that definitely saved us money compared to going through the bookstore, it was still quite pricey. On the one hand, since it's such a rare course, we didn't have anyone to sell the books to afterward! On the other hand, those who went on to graduate-level Medical Physics could keep it for reference. I was not one of those students, and still have the book. Anyone interested? See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus Shut Up & Jump! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amstalder 0 #12 September 2, 2012 Quote Speaking (actually writing, but WTF) as a college prof (engineering) the price of text books is an embarrassment to my profession. They are absurdly overpriced except for those in the most arcane subjects where the sales volume is miniscule. It's not like the authors are making a fortune from them either. College bookstores are a big rip-off too. I no longer require textbooks in my classes, I just tell my students to pay attention and take good notes, and download my handouts that I post online. I wish I'd had you as a teacher. I don't know how many classes I had where the teacher insisted we buy the book, and then we never needed it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DougH 270 #13 September 2, 2012 Quote Speaking (actually writing, but WTF) as a college prof (engineering) the price of text books is an embarrassment to my profession. They are absurdly overpriced except for those in the most arcane subjects where the sales volume is miniscule. It's not like the authors are making a fortune from them either. College bookstores are a big rip-off too. I no longer require textbooks in my classes, I just tell my students to pay attention and take good notes, and download my handouts that I post online. Good for your Professor, I have a lot of respect for that position. Not only are they over priced but the industry is full of crooked business practices. Entry level texts are updated with new editions each year when the majority of the subject matter stays the same. The professors always require the newest edition which has no new content, just a few new pictures, and the assignment bank is rewritten to cause an issue for students that bought used second hand copies. Crooks!"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #14 September 2, 2012 The price of a college education has gone up about three times the rate of inflation over the past 30 years. Greed like this must be one of the reasons. I was able to pay for college as I went. That'd be pretty tough today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyMarko 1 #15 September 2, 2012 Having worked at my university's bookstore in the purchasing department, I saw first hand what a rip off it was to the students. We did have some professors that would create their own book and have up print them out for like $7, but we also had teachers require books that students never used then we wouldn't buy them back because they switch to the new version every year. Now, not everyone has to buy books at this university. The only students who do are graduate students and students taking weird classes. I never paid for a textbook in my undergrad. We had a rental system and the fee was tacked on to our tuition. I paid right around $99 a semester to rent texts for all 5 classes, kept them in good shape, and returned them at the end of the semester. Best system imho Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,623 #16 September 2, 2012 QuoteThank you. It seems that now, with online classes and even traditional classes that are requiring some kind of internet discussion forum, textbook makers have gotten around not making money from used books and are charging students $50-$75 for "online course access" to their classes, or give the access codes free in new books. Now, students can't buy a used book to save $40, because they then have to shell out an extra $50 for the access code. Don't get me started on online course materials!... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #17 September 2, 2012 I had one math professor that did that - printed his own book. The problem was that it cost $50 to get from the bookstore, who had an exclusive agreement to sell each and every "book" or learning material for every class. Your post is spot-on, though. It's shamelessly criminal, the profits being made. The lady that owned the bookstore took great pride in her corvette and fur coats, and eventually bought all rights to our school logo, so we couldn't even use that without paying her a royalty.Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mach1dmb 0 #18 September 2, 2012 Luckily I only needed 1 book this semester. Still cost me $200 I appreciate when professors actually acknowledge that they cost a lot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rss_v 0 #19 September 2, 2012 I didn't purchase or even use a single text book during my degree (a science subject). Other people did, but I just never found a need for it. Much more recent and up-to-date material was available online - or at least through the university's subscriptions to various services and publications - and most of the material we were actually examined on was in the lecture hand-outs and so on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldwomanc6 38 #20 September 3, 2012 Quote Luckily I only needed 1 book this semester. Still cost me $200 I appreciate when professors actually acknowledge that they cost a lot. That's all fine and good, but it doesn't help you actually pay for it. IMO, the requirement for a new version, or access code every semester is rediccccuuuuuuulllllussssss. Thank you, kallend, for doing your part!lisa WSCR 594 FB 1023 CBDB 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
