11/16/2009 - Jackson, Miss.

Faculty who take students' pocketbooks into consideration when it comes to textbooks will get some recognition this week.

"Keep Books Cheap Appreciation Week" begins today and will run through Friday, November 20 – just before buy-back week at most of Mississippi's eight public universities. Student government associations are leading the effort by thanking faculty that have helped keep down the cost of required materials.

Faculty can help reduce costs to students by choosing to keep the same textbook for several consecutive years, ensuring required materials are unbundled and deciding on the books they will use for their classes as early as possible.

Ads will run in many of the student newspapers and fliers will be posted on campuses as part of the awareness campaign.

"We don't have to sacrifice quality to be more price conscious," Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Hank Bounds said. "Every dollar we can save students is another step toward making higher education in Mississippi more accessible and affordable."

The Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning, university presidents and student government presidents have committed to addressing the problem of rising textbook costs.

A Textbook Task Force, made up of one representative from each university, is working now on several recommendations to be presented to Board members for approval. The recommendations could include speeding up the implementation of the textbook-related provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

The Act requires institutions to make an effort to disclose in course schedules the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) of every textbook and requires publishers to disclose the differences between new and prior editions by July 1.

Click here for more information on IHL's initiatives to reduce the cost of textbooks. To follow IHL on Facebook, become a fan of the Mississippi Universities page.

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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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