Dear Colleagues,
Financial issues are the #1 contributing factor to students dropping out of college. UIC has invested heavily in financial aid in an effort to retain students through graduation. Last year 78% of our undergraduate students received some form of financial aid and 37% of full-time undergraduates had all tuition and fee costs covered by financial aid. Thanks in part to that investment the demographic profile of our student body has remained stable and diverse for the last decade while our six-year graduation rate continues to rise. It is in this context that I am asking all faculty to be sensitive to the cost of text books and other materials they assign to their students for the fall semester. As you plan for future semesters, I ask that you please consider carefully your textbook/course material options.
- Indicate if the text is necessary or for reference purposes
- Select the least expensive text among the appropriate options. Work with a textbook company to customize a version of your text excluding portions you never use or to receive a special bulk rate
- Make supplemental materials available through the UIC Library's E-Res service http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/reserves/eres/help.shtml
- Use an open Source textbook option http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2008/09/open-source-tex/
- Use an e-book alternative
- Minimize the use of new titles or new editions. Doing so allows students to purchase used books and the bookstore to stock used books for a longer period of time. More students will be able to sell back the book at the end of one semester so that other students can save on the used books the following semester.
- Minimize the adoption of "bundled" textbooks with extra instructional materials such as CD-ROMs and workbooks. These bundles are often priced higher and include materials that are not incorporated into the class
