2008 Woodie Awards
Publisher policies slow to change, textbook prices remain costly
AWARENESS: Members of ASO go to Washington, D.C. to join colleges nationwide to lobby against common woes, such as the high cost of textbooks and publisher policies.
By: Michele Polendey
Issue date: 3/31/05 Section: News
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Despite the lobbying efforts made by the Associated Student Organization, ASO, the high cost of textbooks may linger for semesters to come.
Phillip Gomez, ASO president, and Bryce Matson, student trustee, joined representatives from all levels of higher education last week in Washington, D.C. to discuss the continuous rise in textbooks prices.
College students across the nation are waiting for legislators to create a process that will investigate publisher practices.
"As soon as we see it, whenever it comes out, we will be jumping on that to lobby for it," Matson said.
Until a proposal is created, student representatives' only duty is to present the need for the bill.
"All we can do is provide legislators with information on how students are suffering now with the different textbook pricing," Gomez said.
Gomez and Matson lobbied for legislators to follow up on a bill that was introduced more than two years ago by congressman David Wu, D-Ore. and urge Rep. Jane Harmen, D-Calif, to co-sponsor the bill concerning publisher practices.
"We were just bringing it to their attention by putting a face to numbers and putting a face with names," Matson said.
The bill was assigned to the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Education in November 2003; since then, nothing has happened regarding publisher practices.
Beginning March 2004, an investigation has been ongoing on publisher practices. The bill to regulate the publishers' practices will not be reintroduced until the investigation is complete.
"We are waiting to see what the reports say. After looking at the reports, Congress will take action legislatively," Matson said.
It is not known when the investigation will end.
"You don't know for sure. They can come out with it tomorrow, or they can come out with it in a month. It just all depends," Matson said.
The D.C. trip served as a venue for the students to get their points across.
Phillip Gomez, ASO president, and Bryce Matson, student trustee, joined representatives from all levels of higher education last week in Washington, D.C. to discuss the continuous rise in textbooks prices.
College students across the nation are waiting for legislators to create a process that will investigate publisher practices.
"As soon as we see it, whenever it comes out, we will be jumping on that to lobby for it," Matson said.
Until a proposal is created, student representatives' only duty is to present the need for the bill.
"All we can do is provide legislators with information on how students are suffering now with the different textbook pricing," Gomez said.
Gomez and Matson lobbied for legislators to follow up on a bill that was introduced more than two years ago by congressman David Wu, D-Ore. and urge Rep. Jane Harmen, D-Calif, to co-sponsor the bill concerning publisher practices.
"We were just bringing it to their attention by putting a face to numbers and putting a face with names," Matson said.
The bill was assigned to the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Education in November 2003; since then, nothing has happened regarding publisher practices.
Beginning March 2004, an investigation has been ongoing on publisher practices. The bill to regulate the publishers' practices will not be reintroduced until the investigation is complete.
"We are waiting to see what the reports say. After looking at the reports, Congress will take action legislatively," Matson said.
It is not known when the investigation will end.
"You don't know for sure. They can come out with it tomorrow, or they can come out with it in a month. It just all depends," Matson said.
The D.C. trip served as a venue for the students to get their points across.