COLLEGE SHORTS

Author: [no author name found]

Professors join crusade against rising book prices

Cash-strapped students are not the only ones appalled by startling textbook bills these days. According to the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG), 700 mathematics and physics professors from 150 colleges and universities across the country are rallying to reduce the cost of textbooks for college students, calling on Thompson Learning to lead the way in making education more affordable for students.

These professors, as a result of the Affordable Textbook Campaign launched last year by Public Interest Research Groups including CALPIRG, have drafted and signed two letters to the CEO of the textbook publisher. These letters state that the company's policies unfairly increase the price of textbooks for American students, exacerbating the rising cost of higher education in America.

Specifically, the professors have asked the company to decrease the frequency of its updates for two physics and calculus textbooks. "While textbook editions must be updated periodically to reflect new teaching methods and so forth, we do not believe that the content of [these] particular update[s] justified an entirely new edition," the letters stated, adding that unnecessary new editions create additional costs for students and institutions.

The letters also asked the Thompson Learning textbook giant to decrease the price disparity between the price of books in the United States and abroad.

"My members and I have met with PIRG representatives for more than 18 months to create an open discussion and share data," said AAP President Patricia Schroeder in a recent press release. "Unfortunately, PIRG continues to attempt to influence the media and public by ignoring valid research and information from independent, third-party sources."

Currently, the AAP and CALPIRG are deadlocked in discussions of the issue, though coordinators for the Affordable Textbook Campaign hope for a speedy breaking of the stalemate.

-U-Wire



National student database considered

A study recently completed by the National Center for Education Statistics examining the possibility of creating a database of every college and university student in the United States was considered last week by the U.S. Education Department.

While there is no legislative proposal associated with the study, the study broaches the feasibility of nationally tracking students in various aspects of their collegiate careers. According to the study, 39 states already have some form of these unit record systems. The future database would include basic student information such as name, Social Security number and date of birth. Follow-up files would include information regarding majors, attempted credits and courses, date of degree completion and financial aid history.

Advocates of the database claim that the system would allow for comparisons of colleges and universities across state lines. Concerns, however, have been raised regarding a student's right to withhold personal information, the accessibility of data to identify thieves and hackers and the level of technology required to maintain the database.

-U-Wire