Report 2007-116 Recommendation 26 Responses

Report 2007-116: Affordability of College Textbooks: Textbook Prices Have Risen Significantly in the Last Four Years, but Some Strategies May Help to Control These Costs for Students (Release Date: August 2008)

Recommendation #26 To: University of California

To ensure that faculty are aware of factors affecting textbook costs, UC, CSU, and the community colleges should issue guidance on the textbook adoption process. In developing this guidance, they should direct campuses to encourage faculty to consider price in the textbook adoption process and, without compromising the quality of the education students receive or the academic freedom of faculty, to consider adopting less costly textbooks whenever possible.

60-Day Agency Response

UC indicated that it sent a letter to each campus from its systemwide headquarters requesting a detailed report on implementation of each of the bureau's audit recommendations. According to UC, each campus reported its implementation efforts to date, but added that these efforts are ongoing and it will continue to evaluate ways in which it can ease the cost of higher education for its students. It also stated that campus bookstores issue guidance on the textbook adoption process and have taken significant steps to ensure that faculty are aware of deadlines for submitting textbook selections, advantages for students of adopting textbook selections in a timely manner, as well as providing advice on bundled materials. According to UC, faculty at all of its campuses have been informed of the textbook affordability issues and their significance in the systemwide Academic Senate's June 2009 issue of "The Senate Source". UC noted that in the most recent issue of this publication, the Academic Senate provided an overview of faculty best practices on textbook affordability, a description of state legislation enacted to keep the cost of textbooks down, and an invitation for faculty to submit ideas to their local campus Senate divisions by December 2009. (See 2010-406, p. 158)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Fully Implemented

All Recommendations in 2007-116

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.