 "Photo: Nick Kneer")
Meghann Smith's bill totaled roughly $700, and all she bought was books.
Smith, a freshman majoring in computer and engineering science, like many UT students, pays steep bills each semester to cover textbook costs. But a new program in Ohio is offering discounts on electronic textbooks as an alternative, cheaper option.
Smith said she likes the idea.
"I would buy the books online, because I spend most of my time on the computer anyway," she said.
The University System of Ohio is offering these discounts and is promoting initiatives to encourage faculty members to develop programs that help students cut the cost of textbooks.
"What we have done through the company, CourseSmart, is negotiate an additional 10 percent off of the already low price of digital textbooks," said Ohio's Chancellor of Education Eric Fingerhut.
The University System of Ohio, which is part of Fingerhut's 10-Year Strategic Plan for Higher Education, consists of 14 universities, 24 branch campuses, 23 community colleges and more than 200 adult workforce education centers and training programs across the state.
According to a press release from the Ohio Board of Regents, the total discount for most digital textbooks would be up to 55 percent less than the new print price list.
"We negotiated because of the power of the University System of Ohio - the strength of all schools working together and purchasing an additional 10 percent discounts on digital textbooks."
He said students can purchase the electronic textbooks from Uso.edu by clicking the textbook affordability link.
Kristen Keith, an associate professor in economics, said she doesn't have a preference as long as her students read whatever has been assigned to them.
"I think that people of my generation seem to think that our new students are totally into anything they can do on computer," she said.
However, the idea of purchasing digital textbooks is still a new concept to faculty members and students at UT, and Keith said one possible complaint would be that electronic textbooks expire after a certain length of time.
"I have tried to give choices to students from my online classes, but I don't think anybody [took advantage of] that," she said. "I think part of it is that they have to print the chapters, and after six months or so, it's gone. It's less permanent and has less resale value."
According to Michael Chaney, chief communications officer for the Ohio Board of Regents, it will depend on the publisher as to how long students will have access to their electronic textbooks.
"Some have up to 180 days, while [others] up to 360," he said.
There has been a mixed reaction about electronic textbooks among students.
"I wouldn't buy it because I don't have a credit card, and it's too much hassle," said Taylor Mosiniak, a sophomore majoring in English. She added she's not a fan of purchasing products online because she worries something might go wrong.
According to Colleen Strayer, general manager for the Student Bookstore on the Main Campus, the store has cards available for students to purchase electronic textbooks.
There's presently a 25 percent discount on used books and 40 percent off the electronic copy. However, the bookstore has less than five percent of textbooks available for students in electronic form, Strayer said.
"E-textbooks only constitute two percent of our sales," she said. "What's more important is to have more used textbooks, and faculty members can play a role to increase used textbooks on the shelves. The more students can go to faculty to submit their book request before finals week, the more used books will be on the shelf," she said.
Strayer said she was not aware of the initiatives by the University System of Ohio.
According to Fingerhut, school bookstores are not required to participate, but they do have access to that 10 percent additional discount. As part of the university system, UT has access to the discount.
"We understand that this is not the [permanent] solution, and frankly many students prefer to own materials that they can keep for a long term or to have the hard copies to work with during their studies," he said.
Penny Poplin Gosetti, interim vice provost for academic innovation, also recognized the convenience of textbooks.
It is more labor intensive for faculty and students to search, for example, individual online journals, she said.
"If there are textbooks, all the topics would be brought together," she said.
Poplin Gosetti added it would depend on the class whether digital textbooks will be more effective.
Besides the discount, the university system has also launched a grant program and a faculty award program that recognizes and rewards efforts to make learning materials more affordable.
"Faculty members are the most important link to the affordability of materials," Fingerhut said.
A total of $250,000 from the Learning Network Investment Fund is allocated to faculty teams or individuals who "develop, build and package collections of course materials," which will then be owned by the state of Ohio. They would then offer the materials at a low cost or free to Ohio students.
The grant program will fund up to five projects and up to $50,000 per course.
There is also the Faculty Innovator Award, through which students, administrators and faculty members have the opportunity to nominate faculty members who are able to find creative ways to develop course materials that would help students cut the cost of textbooks. There will be ten winners, twice every year, and each of them will receive $1,000 cash awards.
"I personally believe that there will be longer term significance, and it really can change the whole picture of affordability of course materials to students," Fingerhut said.
Fingerhut acknowledged that at this point in time, most higher education institutes have already chosen the course materials.
"We are sending a message [to] faculty members as they prepare for the winter quarter or the spring semester and that we will be doing this again," he said of the $1,000 cash reward.
"We essentially are going to pay them upfront for their effort and their intellectual property, and so for the exchange, one or a group of faculty will develop a proposal and the state will own those materials," Fingerhut said.
He said there will not be profit or royalties gained from the sales.
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