Textbooks aren’t being used enough in classes

by Adam DiLiddo

Freshman Matthew Dourant raised his eyebrows, as though the fact he had paid so much for books that were barely used in class was still a shock to him. “You pay for all these books, and I haven’t really touched any of them,” Dourant said. “If I were to have not found some different websites [to buy the books], I would be paying close to five hundred bucks.”

Freshman Matthew Dourant holding up a textbook. (Photo: Adam DiLiddo)

The fact that pricey textbooks are required by professors who hardly use them is not just a problem for Dourant, however. Senior Christine Jarowicz reached out in response to a Raven Nation post, which asked if students had experience with a lack of textbook use.

“What I can’t stand about textbooks is that the professor makes you buy them then never uses them,” she said in a direct message. “I’ve bought textbooks for all my classes thus far – four semesters worth, and I have only used three total.”

Matthew Konieczka, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, stated that the problem is one that professors are beginning to recognize. “As the price of books has risen, faculty have become more and more mindful of this,” he said.

“They search for cheaper options which are available in some disciplines but not others,” Konieczka said. “This is something the university, the library, and the bookstore are focused on.”

One way to bring about continual focus would be to tell professors about the problem. This way, they could realize the severity of student issues with their lack of textbook teachings, and try to either prevent or rectify the issue in their own courses.