SR0298 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0298 LRB095 12758 NHT 38123 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Postsecondary education is increasingly necessary for success in the modern workforce; and

WHEREAS, Affordability of college is an ongoing concern for students, families, and State policymakers; and

WHEREAS, The cost of textbooks is a substantial and escalating burden for students; and

WHEREAS, Other states have undertaken measures to curtail the rising expense of textbook purchases; and

WHEREAS, The Senate of the 94th General Assembly passed Senate Resolution 692, directing the Board of Higher Education to study the feasibility of textbook rental programs and other cost-saving measures to lower the cost of textbooks to students; and

WHEREAS, The Board of Higher Education conducted a comprehensive study, which included surveys of institutions of higher learning, private and campus bookstore owners and operators, publishers, faculty, and students; and

WHEREAS, The Board of Higher Education issued a report of its findings and a list of options for reducing textbook costs that could be considered by the State, college and university campuses, faculty, bookstores, and publishers; and

WHEREAS, Many of the options identified in the Board of Higher Education's report were incorporated in a package of bills, Senate Bills 325, 326, and 327, that passed unanimously out of the Senate of the 95th General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bills 325, 326, and 327 have not received a hearing in the House of Representatives of the 95th General Assembly; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that each public university and community college shall undertake measures to reduce the cost of textbooks to students, based on, but not limited to, cost-saving measures contained in "A Report on the Feasibility of Textbook Rental Programs and Other Textbook Cost-Saving Alternatives in Illinois Public Higher Education", released in January 2007; and be it further

RESOLVED, That each campus may consider such measures as enhanced book buy-back programs, book swaps, reserves, and e-reserves of required textbooks, adherence to deadlines for adoption of textbooks, disclosure to faculty and students of relevant information for the purchase of required textbooks and course materials, and creation of textbook advisory committees to recommend policies concerning adoption of new editions and unbundling of textbooks and supplementary course materials and to assist faculty in adoption of least-cost materials when appropriate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That public universities and community colleges where the majority of students receive required textbooks and course materials through a textbook rental program are exempt from the directives of this resolution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That each public university shall report to the Board of Higher Education and each public community college shall report to the Illinois Community College Board on the cost saving measures they have implemented to reduce textbook expenses for students on or before March 1, 2008; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall jointly report to the chairpersons of the Senate Appropriations III committee, the Senate Higher Education committee, the House Appropriations-Higher Education committee, and the House Higher Education committee on or before April 1, 2008 on the findings and conclusions regarding campus efforts to reduce textbook costs to students, along with any recommendations for further action; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the chairperson of the Board of Higher Education, the chairperson of the Illinois Community College Board, and the president of each public university and community college in this State.