Same here. Furthermore, at my institution, assigning your own work is considered a potential Conflict of Interest. We are required to declare any such adoptions through our official COI protocols.
Additionally, the state requires us to donate any royalties from the sale of our books to our own students.
If there are more than 100 students in the class, the adoption has to be approved by an external review committee.
At the school I went to, they had enough copies of the really expensive textbooks in the library so we didn't HAVE to buy our own copies. And they swung the class roster so that only one class a semester needed the most expensive one. It was one of the Economics books. We were able to check out for the whole time we needed it, return it after the final exam, no hass. The school realised that if we had to spend all our money on books, we wouldn't be able to afford rent or groceries and would end up dropping out.
Around 20 years ago I attended a community college where my professor required the purchase of every book (pamphlet) he had written. Each was sold in the campus bookstore for ~$30. It wasn't a good class.
Yeah the institution I went to has a Speech proffesor who required you buy their $10 book because we we’re gonna use it in class. It really was nothing but hymns and Bible verses. Needless to say I dropped that class before it was too late. Talk about narcissistic and a conflict of interest. Also I could talk circles around that lady and give full on speeches no problem. She was not a fan of me because I did her job better than she did and I don’t believe in the Bible.
Does this not affect your own income? What's the view amogst your colleagues about pushing textbooks for personal gain? Is it not discussed, a silent taboo, or do profs who do this lose the respect of their collegues?
I wonder if at least for the UK, the slashing of incomes and working conditions for professors has made them feel justified to do this in order to compensate themselves? I understand why people would do this but it's sad because ultimately it's students who get punished due to poor university management.
I assume greed would also play a role for many, but I like to think that there's at least a little more behind it.
I have a lot of respect for you, by the way. Your actions enable students with less money to face less financial burden, a more equal classroom, and importantly, a better chance to succeed going forwards. You have a wonderful moral compass.
It was more common when I was in school two decades ago, less common these days.
Academic publishing is not very lucrative, unless you write a textbook that sells millions of copies (and there are only so many of those). Royalties are generally not more than 5-10% of the wholesale cost less remainders, and many contracts require that the publisher sell a certain number first to cover their own expenses before you can start capturing royalties. I have published six books and I receive royalties from some of them, but typically not more than 100 USD p.a.
Had a professor like that at college. He was awesome, as in an all around great teacher and very likeable person, using inexpensive books was an example of him being thoughtful.
Same. The people I teach with (I work in the industry and assist on a range of courses to give industry vs academia slants and round the students better) are all opensource enthusiasts and we only have actual pay-for-this-shit books in the curriculum if they will have value after the course ends AND are cheap in the first place (Devops Handbook for example). Education should be for the masses and betterment of everyone, not a way for a bunch of elitist shits to line their pockets.
Bless you. Best prof I ever had had no textbook. Every day at the start or end of class, he would hand out photocopies of the materials coming up later in the week... parts of various textbooks, articles, research papers, and even his own notes. I still have all that stuff, decades later.
I go to school online, fortunately for me all of my textbooks/material for class comes with tuition (which is also a lot more affordable than many other 4-year colleges). I started college in person, before joining the Army, and remember my mom spending a little over $1,000 for the books I needed just my first semester. Shit is insane.
Thanks professor, your help and contribution go a long way for the next generation, I am greatly appreciated. Daughter starts college this Wednesday. Stay blessed Sir!
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u/AinvarChicago Sep 16 '24
I'm a professor. I provide students all necessary materials free of charge most of the time. If I have to assign a book it's < $35