A mere 32 percent of the faculty has informed the university bookstore which books they will be using for next semester, significantly impacting the amount of money students can expect during this semester’s buy-back of textbooks according to Assistant Vice President for Student Services Jim Fitzpatrick and Mary Mowery of the bookstore.
The bookstore requested that this information be submitted by Oct. 25 and took measures to facilitate the process by creating a form for professors to simply sign off on the books that they used last semester and would be using again for next semester, according to Mowery who is in charge of textbook purchases and sales in the bookstore.
“There are rational business reasons” that the bookstore uses to determine the prices for the textbooks, said Mowery during the Fairfield University Student Association’s Open Forum. The bookstore determines what books to buy-back and how much to offer students based upon the texts professors say that they will use.
Mowery said that she cannot guess what books will be used without the information from the professors.
Students should be aware that they are not going to get the money they deserve if this low percentage continues, FUSA President Karen Donoghue said.
Mowery understands that professors have numerous tasks on “their plate” including registration, advising, finals, classes and preparations for next semester. “I am so aware of how much professors are doing right now … I know your professors are very busy,” she said.
There are professors, she said, who do not want students to sell their books back because they believe that books are “wonderful treasures.”
Fitzpatrick said after the forum that there were possibly two conflicting philosophies that were affecting students. There are some faculty, according to Fitzpatrick, who understand the financial needs of students and the desire to recoup some of the cost of books.
On the other hand, there are faculty who want students to build personal libraries, he said. A sentiment he understands as he expressed a value he places on the textbooks he had studying his own major.
There has to be a way, Fitzpatrick said, for a compromise to be reached between these two philosophies. The university looks to maximize the benefits for the students, he said.
Fitzpatrick said that he has contacted three academic deans to make them aware of the low percentage of faculty that have informed the bookstore which books they intend to use.
Mowery said that she felt the professors were “not malicious” but were simply very busy. She said that students should ask professors if they have sent their list of books for next semester to the bookstore. If they have, according to Mowery, the students will be able to sell their books back to the bookstore for more money.
The bookstore will continue to accept lists of texts up until the day before reading day, Dec. 11, and will continue to update the lists that they will purchase from students, according to Mowery.
This is one of the most important issues for students to be interested in, Mowery said.
Mowery spoke at the second Open Forum that FUSA has offered this year. There are two more scheduled, one with the Department of Housing and Residence Life and another in February with university President Aloysius Kelley.
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