Event Website
http://gettysburgian.com/2017/10/open-access-week-seeks-to-address-textbook-crisis/
Description
Jay Hauser ‘19 spent $391.43 for a single course’s materials during his first semester at Gettysburg College.
“I had a class where we read classical text of [political] philosophy. But only sections of each text. But we had to buy the books. No one ever tried to bring in open source online copies of them and the professor did not provide them. Instead we spent a lot of money on like twentyish books and only used parts of them.”
In fact, a 2016 analysis conducted by College Board found that the price of books and supplies for a full-time student at a private nonprofit 4-year college, like Gettysburg, was $11,890. Add in the cost of tuition, room and board, and living, and suddenly it is clear why college students so often are finding nutrition in ramen noodles and microwaveable hot dogs. [excerpt]
Document Type
Article
Open Access Week Seeks to Address “Textbook Crisis”
Jay Hauser ‘19 spent $391.43 for a single course’s materials during his first semester at Gettysburg College.
“I had a class where we read classical text of [political] philosophy. But only sections of each text. But we had to buy the books. No one ever tried to bring in open source online copies of them and the professor did not provide them. Instead we spent a lot of money on like twentyish books and only used parts of them.”
In fact, a 2016 analysis conducted by College Board found that the price of books and supplies for a full-time student at a private nonprofit 4-year college, like Gettysburg, was $11,890. Add in the cost of tuition, room and board, and living, and suddenly it is clear why college students so often are finding nutrition in ramen noodles and microwaveable hot dogs. [excerpt]
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/oaweek/2017/oapromotion2017/4
Comments
This article was written for Gettysburg College's student-run newspaper, The Gettysburgian, in anticipation of Open Access Week 2017. It details the high cost of textbooks at Gettysburg College and other institutions, as well as ways in which Musselman Library and Gettysburg professors are embracing alternative, open solutions in order to provide affordable materials for Gettysburg students.