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The Daily Wildcat

 

ASUA turns attention to textbook deadlines

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Colin Darland
Colin Darland / Arizona Daily Wildcat

The UA student government is hoping a new resolution will have an effect on textbook fees when students ease into the second semester.

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona passed a resolution during Wednesday night’s weekly Senate meeting at the Student Union Memorial Center aimed at raising textbook deadline awareness to professors and department heads.

The resolution comes in the form of a letter strongly suggesting to professors that they submit textbook lists to the UofA Bookstore before each semester’s textbook adoption deadline.

When professors submit textbook lists to the bookstore past the deadline, it results in “”excessive, unnecessary fees”” being passed on to students, said Sen. Tyler Quillin. “”It’s not a binding contract in blood or anything like that. It’s more of an awareness campaign.””

The letter will be submitted to faculty members during the Faculty Senate meeting on Nov. 2, said ASUA President Chris Nagata.

“”I’m hoping it will raise awareness and inspire faculty members and department heads to submit (their textbook lists) early,”” he said.

Sen. Katherine Weingartner expressed concern with whether the letter would even have an impact on how much students pay for textbooks.

“”I just don’t know the effect it would have on them,”” she said.

When Weingartner and Sen. Daniel Wallace openly asked the Senate and audience whether any faculty members other than Secretary of the Faculty J.C. Mutchler had seen the letter or been approached with the question of why lists are submitted late, no ASUA members spoke up.

Sen. Eduardo Atjian, whose campaign platform focused heavily on textbook costs, suggested that many classes’ textbook lists are submitted post-deadline because of professors may not be informed about what classes they will be teaching early enough to provide booklists on time.

“”They don’t really know what they’re going to teach,”” he said. “”So that’s why they don’t (meet the deadline).””

Quillin had a different take, instead suggesting that professors have a general “”lack of awareness”” on the issue.

Informing the faculty of ASUA’s plans and engaging in a conversation early would have been advantageous for the resolution, as faculty members would have forwarded concerns to other members of the faculty, giving the textbook resolution more momentum, Wallace said.

“”You may want to get more input,”” Wallace told advocates of the resolution.

ASUA is hoping to receive input from several faculty members during the Faculty Senate meeting, said Emily Fritze, ASUA executive vice president.

It is still unclear exactly how much help professors and department heads can lend to the textbook situation, as they are already busy worrying about budget cuts, Weingartner said.

“”There’s so much pressure on the faculty already,”” she said, suggesting that the Senate “”feel it out more.””

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