Student Government is making a push to help more students be able to sell back their textbooks for a large percent of what they paid for them, but the plan cannot succeed without the cooperation of the University faculty.
SG President Allen Richey said he sent out a letter to the deans and directors of all the University’s colleges and departments asking them to urge the faculty under them to turn in their syllabi for next semester as soon as possible.
“If more syllabi were given to bookstores before the concentrated study period, students could sell back a higher volume of books at a higher return,” Richey said in the letter. “Currently, only 39 percent of syllabi have been turned in. I am certain that if that rate does not increase, several students will again be told that their books cannot be bought back.”
Richey said he hopes the effort from SG and the cooperation from the faculty members will help students receive more money when selling back their books and also increase the amount of used books available to them in the following semester.
Bob Prescott, president and co-owner of Co-op bookstore, said receiving the syllabi earlier will be a tremendous help for both the bookstores and the students.
“If we knew they were going to use a book next semester, we’d be able to buy more of the books back for half price,” Prescott said.
Prescott said bookstores cannot buy back a lot of students’ books if they do not know if they will be used the following semester. He also said he has received syllabi from faculty members as late as two weeks into the start of the semester.
“The sooner they get the list in, the more it will help students,” Prescott said.
Richey said the effort comes after he and other members of SG heard students voice complaints about the rising total cost of education. Many of these complaints and comments came at the first “Chat with the Chancellor,” which was focused on student fees.
Richey said the success of the SG project is completely at the mercy of the teachers and when they turn in their syllabi, and SG will publicly recognize departments and individual teachers who cooperate.