Affordable course content: A cross-unit collaboration to develop institution-wide strategies at the University of Maryland

Abstract

The cost of higher education is a growing concern. Tuition, housing, and other fees have risen more than 160% since 1980. Textbook costs, which contribute to these financial worries, have nearly doubled in the past two decades. A recent national survey found that 65% of student respondents avoided the purchase of a required textbook because of cost. The same study reported instances of students taking fewer courses, not registering for specific courses, earning a poor grade, or dropping a course because of the cost of textbooks. This message of avoiding purchases or suffering undue hardship to buy course materials is echoed again and again throughout the nation: 80% of students at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report not buying textbooks or access codes due to cost. 66% of students report avoid buying course materials due to cost, significant numbers report working extra hours, skipping meals, or selecting (or avoiding) courses based on course content costs. At the University of Maryland, we see evidence of this problem as well. A campus survey conducted in fall 2021 shows more than 40% of undergraduate and graduate students declined to purchase a textbook in the past year due to cost. Clearly, the price of textbooks and other course resources is influencing student behavior and possibly impacting academic success. Libraries and other campus units have taken steps to address textbook costs, mainly through the promotion of existing resources, open education resources (OER), and inclusive access models. The libraries also have a librarian with responsibilities for OER. However, at Maryland and at many institutions, efforts to gain traction are slow and lack a cohesive, university-wide approach to addressing the problem of affordable course materials.