Take Action on Textbooks!

transcript

Tim St. Claire

A) $99.95 B) $150.60 C) $219.95 D) $289.70

The Price is RightTextbook Edition

A) $99.95 B) $150.60 C) $219.95 D) $289.70

Answer: D

A) $79.95 B) $120.20 C) $314.95 D) $399.90

Answer: C

A) $96.40 B) $127.50 C) $184.97 D) $259.28

Answer: B

A) $136.43 B) $154.10 C) $232.75 D) $319.89

Answer: C

The Impact of High Cost Textbooks

The key to textbook initiatives is getting buy-in from campus folks.

Without this investment from faculty and others, our initiatives won’t be successful.

There are some key “do’s and don’t’s” in building these partnerships.

Working with campus officials

You should:◦ Respect their role on campus

Faculty and the classroom◦ Understand their limitations (listen well)

Financial or otherwise ◦ Assume they want what’s best for

students (at least initially) Faculy don’t want students in debt.

◦ Look for win-win Find the middle ground on important issues.

You shouldn’t:◦ Make demands before making offers.

Negotiating and finding common ground is best◦ Talk more than you listen once you’ve

made your pitch.◦ Focus on the “no” (stay positive and find

solutions)◦ Do end arounds unless they won’t talk to

One of the most effective ways to increase the chances of a successful ask is to have the student body supporting you.

Here is the three step how-to in getting support form the student body!

Campus Body Engagement

Start a campaign presence on campus!◦ Create posters/flyers with statistics or stories and

place them around campus in high “hangout” areas. Remember to include ways they can get more

involved. (contact us at…, become a voice by…)

◦ Grab a table and take a hour or two to table the issue. Remember that poor college students are attracted

to free food (candy, drinks, pizza if you can afford it) The best tabling has one person manning the table

while the other goes out to the student.

Step 1

Bring it close to home!◦ Going out and collecting student stories is the

best ammunition to bring to any negations. A face is better then a number! A great way to get student stories is an interview

method with a picture at the end. (provide sweets!)

◦ Survey your campus to find your numbers Questions like “Are textbooks too expensive” are not

very good because it’s an obvious answer. A better question provides context like “Did you ever go without the required textbook and did it effect your success (grades) in that class?” or “Roughly how much did you spend in textbooks this semester?”

Step 2

Build the leadership of tomorrow, today!◦ Some students may be interested in getting more

involved after hearing about your work in student senate. Don’t let that interest pass!

◦ Invite these students to a senate meeting, if they can’t make it, that’s ok, try coffee at another time! Remember the goal isn’t to force them, but to foster

interest and engagement at their own pace!

Step 3

Take Action on Textbooks!

Education