Textbook Affordability Taskforce

Overview:
According to the National Association of College Stores, wholesale textbook prices have increased by 25-30% in the past five years. This huge rise in cost inhibits equal access of CSU students to the course materials they need to be successful. The California legislature (AB2477), the CSU Board of Trustees, our system wide Academic Senate and California State Student Association have all taken steps to elevate the importance of strategic resolution of this issue. In addition changes in publishers’ business and content delivery models, greater expectation of students to utilize the Internet for their learning, and key CSU system wide initiatives such as the Electronic Core Collection and Digital Marketplace, all provide substantial opportunity for new transactional models to be supported. By executive appointment, a CSU Textbook Taskforce has been established to respond to faculty and student needs for improved access and reduced costs of textbook content. The charge of this taskforce is to provide advice to the Executive Vice Chancellor/Chief Academic Officer and the Executive Vice Chancellor/Chief Financial Officer, leading to the implementation of effective measures to reduce the cost of textbook content for CSU students.