2008 Woodie Awards
Throwing the Book at ... All the Wrong People
Board rule would prohibit exchange of money between instructors and students.
Jesus Esquivel
Issue date: 10/19/05 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
If the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees adopts a rule then drops it right away, it proves the measure was a bad idea.
On Sept. 21, LACCD adopted Board Rule 6416, which prohibits instructors from engaging in financial transactions with students. After meeting strong opposition from teachers the rule was pulled by Chancellor Darroch F. Young.
The measure was focused on the exchange of money for textbooks sold by instructors.
LACCD felt a sort of mini-monopoly takes place when teachers write and sell books for their classes, as if students are forced to buy the book while teachers bathe in profits.
"I just do it to save students money," Valley College statistics instructor Mike Gardner said. "If I sold the workbooks through the book store they would jack-up the price, but if that's what it comes to, I'll play ball."
If the textbooks instructors sell their students were to go through the campus bookstore they would be marked up at least 29 percent in order to cover overhead. LACCD should be concerned with the best interests of their students. Students already have to deal with the recent unit price increase (to $27), skyrocketing gas prices, and the always-high cost of regular textbooks and other materials. Why not give them a break?
"[The practice] was probably abused somewhere and now they want to make it a blanket thing, I think cases like that should be dealt with individually," said speech professor Jim Marteney.
The rule would have affected nine Southern California community colleges and would have made some school activities like field trips and special events awkward and legally complicated.
"We might order some food for the class in a week," said Marteney. "Am I going to have to get an intermediary to pay for the food?" Another issue with students is that the books instructors sell are usually cheaper than regular textbooks because often teachers sell books that have been photo copied. The measure might have had classes conspiring to buy one book and make copies.
Not all students believe that instructors that sell their books are opportunistic tycoons. Valley student Robert Gudieo said, "The instructors sell books for your benefit. Ultimately it's to help you with your education."
On Sept. 21, LACCD adopted Board Rule 6416, which prohibits instructors from engaging in financial transactions with students. After meeting strong opposition from teachers the rule was pulled by Chancellor Darroch F. Young.
The measure was focused on the exchange of money for textbooks sold by instructors.
LACCD felt a sort of mini-monopoly takes place when teachers write and sell books for their classes, as if students are forced to buy the book while teachers bathe in profits.
"I just do it to save students money," Valley College statistics instructor Mike Gardner said. "If I sold the workbooks through the book store they would jack-up the price, but if that's what it comes to, I'll play ball."
If the textbooks instructors sell their students were to go through the campus bookstore they would be marked up at least 29 percent in order to cover overhead. LACCD should be concerned with the best interests of their students. Students already have to deal with the recent unit price increase (to $27), skyrocketing gas prices, and the always-high cost of regular textbooks and other materials. Why not give them a break?
"[The practice] was probably abused somewhere and now they want to make it a blanket thing, I think cases like that should be dealt with individually," said speech professor Jim Marteney.
The rule would have affected nine Southern California community colleges and would have made some school activities like field trips and special events awkward and legally complicated.
"We might order some food for the class in a week," said Marteney. "Am I going to have to get an intermediary to pay for the food?" Another issue with students is that the books instructors sell are usually cheaper than regular textbooks because often teachers sell books that have been photo copied. The measure might have had classes conspiring to buy one book and make copies.
Not all students believe that instructors that sell their books are opportunistic tycoons. Valley student Robert Gudieo said, "The instructors sell books for your benefit. Ultimately it's to help you with your education."
