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Hopefully preaching to the choir here, but fellow instructors, PLEASE be careful when sending textbook orders for your courses. Only list materials as required if they are actually required. If an older edition will work for your course, let students know that ASAP! A thread 1/8
As an undergrad, I worked 12hr shifts on the weekends at a slightly better than minimum wage job for months to pay off my textbooks. Numerous times the professor would submit that the newest version of a textbook AND an access code for online learning were REQUIRED. 2/8
Only for us to never really use either. I would have been fine with the previous edition of the textbook that I could have gotten used for an eighth of the price, but I didn’t know that until halfway through the semester when it was too late to return anything. 3/8
Until they receive your syllabus, all students know is what they can see on the University Bookstore site. And many university bookstores send frequent reminders for students to purchase books weeks ahead of classes starting, making students feel pressured. 4/8
Especially if your course requires book(s) that cost $50 or more, send an email about what will be required and what it might cost so they can plan. Is an older edition of the text ok? Have you asked the library to put copies on reserve? Can they share a copy with a roommate? 5/8
If you don’t communicate before the first day of class, many of them will have already bought the materials worried you would assign a homework assignment for that first night. (speaking from experience lol) Give them some money-saving options they might not have thought of. 6/8
Submitting textbook requests to the university bookstore may seem like just tedious to-do, but it can really cause students undue stress and anxiety 7/8
If you think it is absolutely necessary for your course to have the newest version of an expensive textbook, I urge you to talk to colleagues teaching similar classes and try to come up with an alternative. Ok, end rant. 8/8
