Thanks to the California Public Interest Research Group,
textbook costs may be a lighter burden on students next year.
Very few student campaigns are successful, which is part of what
makes CALPIRG’s efforts so admirable. Despite student outcry,
student fees are rising and expected cumulative progress is still
in effect, but after this year of activism we will actually see
lower textbook prices.
Publishing company Thomson Learning will allow professors to
decide whether they want to order new editions or bundled textbooks
““ and offer unbound issues with fewer colors and graphics.
And though the company’s representatives say CALPIRG held no
sway in this economical change in status quo, it’s hard to
argue that these changes would have been made so quickly without
CALPIRG’s large-scale campaign.
And the buck-saving success doesn’t stop there ““ the
Legislature recently signed a bill sponsored by CALPIRG encouraging
state colleges and universities to adopt textbook rental
programs.
CALPIRG has done a lot with those $5 pledges from students, so
next time you see the charge on your BAR account, know that
you’re paying for a student advocate group that fights hard
and actually does effect change.