Faculty advocating for cheaper textbooks

RICHARD ESPINOZA Reporter @richard65157819

The high cost of college textbooks continue to be a financial burden for many students wanting to pursue their education. Pierce College staff members are working towards providing low cost alternatives textbooks for students with the “Affordable College Textbook Act.”

According to the College Board, during the 2014 and 2015 academic year, the average student budget for college books and supplies at four-year public institutions of higher education was around $1,225.

There are a few staff members who have been advocating for affordable textbooks for students who are on a budget.

Barbara Lombrano, Associated Students Organization president, and members of Student Senate California Community Colleges (SSCCC) region 7, are working on a strategy by collecting syllabi from introductory classes and offering professors an opportunity to look over the OERS (Open Educational Resources) and consider the program.

“There have been students at Pierce that are serving on committees on our region level for textbook affordability,” Lombrano said. “We fall under SSCCC region 7 and on the region level we are working on getting legislation passed to advocate for more affordable textbooks.”

Lombrano, who is also a veteran of the Navy and has been in active duty and reserves for thirteen years, is helping veteran students with the affordable textbooks process.

“I feel very blessed with this program and my books are covered by the VA [Veterans Association],” Lombrano said. “However, there are some veterans who are not disabled who don’t want to use their GI Bill at a junior college but want to save it for a four-year university.”

According to Lombrano, there is a veterans club that has been around for two years called “Veterans of America,” that provides military veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and following graduation.

“They are either free or low cost textbooks that can be used instead of using a standard textbook from the regular publishers,” Gediman said. “Usually the faculty would put together a text within their department to use or the instructor would build their own textbook

“ They are either free or low cost textbooks that can be used instead of using a standard textbook from the regular publishers.”

- Clay Gediman Pierce College librarian