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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Postsecondary education is increasingly necessary
3 for success in the modern workforce; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Affordability of college is an ongoing concern for
5 students, families, and State policymakers; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The cost of textbooks is a substantial and
7 escalating burden for students; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Other states have undertaken measures to curtail
9 the rising expense of textbook purchases; and
 
10     WHEREAS, The Senate of the 94th General Assembly passed
11 Senate Resolution 692, directing the Board of Higher Education
12 to study the feasibility of textbook rental programs and other
13 cost-saving measures to lower the cost of textbooks to
14 students; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Board of Higher Education conducted a
16 comprehensive study, which included surveys of institutions of
17 higher learning, private and campus bookstore owners and
18 operators, publishers, faculty, and students; and
 
19     WHEREAS, The Board of Higher Education issued a report of

 

 

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1 its findings and a list of options for reducing textbook costs
2 that could be considered by the State, college and university
3 campuses, faculty, bookstores, and publishers; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Many of the options identified in the Board of
5 Higher Education's report were incorporated in a package of
6 bills, Senate Bills 325, 326, and 327, that passed unanimously
7 out of the Senate of the 95th General Assembly; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Senate Bills 325, 326, and 327 have not received a
9 hearing in the House of Representatives of the 95th General
10 Assembly; therefore, be it
 
11     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
12 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that each public university
13 and community college shall undertake measures to reduce the
14 cost of textbooks to students, based on, but not limited to,
15 cost-saving measures contained in "A Report on the Feasibility
16 of Textbook Rental Programs and Other Textbook Cost-Saving
17 Alternatives in Illinois Public Higher Education", released in
18 January 2007; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That each campus may consider such measures as
20 enhanced book buy-back programs, book swaps, reserves, and
21 e-reserves of required textbooks, adherence to deadlines for
22 adoption of textbooks, disclosure to faculty and students of

 

 

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1 relevant information for the purchase of required textbooks and
2 course materials, and creation of textbook advisory committees
3 to recommend policies concerning adoption of new editions and
4 unbundling of textbooks and supplementary course materials and
5 to assist faculty in adoption of least-cost materials when
6 appropriate; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That public universities and community colleges
8 where the majority of students receive required textbooks and
9 course materials through a textbook rental program are exempt
10 from the directives of this resolution; and be it further
 
11     RESOLVED, That each public university shall report to the
12 Board of Higher Education and each public community college
13 shall report to the Illinois Community College Board on the
14 cost saving measures they have implemented to reduce textbook
15 expenses for students on or before March 1, 2008; and be it
16 further
 
17     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education and the
18 Illinois Community College Board shall jointly report to the
19 chairpersons of the Senate Appropriations III committee, the
20 Senate Higher Education committee, the House
21 Appropriations-Higher Education committee, and the House
22 Higher Education committee on or before April 1, 2008 on the
23 findings and conclusions regarding campus efforts to reduce

 

 

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1 textbook costs to students, along with any recommendations for
2 further action; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
4 delivered to the chairperson of the Board of Higher Education,
5 the chairperson of the Illinois Community College Board, and
6 the president of each public university and community college
7 in this State.