Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Ridiculous request from SGA Pres. Krebs
Angeline

Date:
Ridiculous request from SGA Pres. Krebs
Permalink Closed


Came across USM mailout today:


Perhaps he would like to write our syllabi four months in advance even though we are still figuring out how exactly we will teach our fall courses and therefore we will not know what books we want used until summer at least?  This is really, I think, an effort to help Barnes & Noble realize greater profits.


April 20, 2005

Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, and Faculty:

I wish to address a concern of many students regarding
textbooks. Textbook costs are rising, and the high prices
place a strain on all students. As faculty, you can help to
alleviate some of this frustration and unnecessary costs.
Often, students are told that bookstores cannot buy back a
book because they have not been notified of the required
 textbooks or materials for that class the following
semester.  If more professors turn in their required
materials to the bookstores, students will be able to sell
back a higher volume of books at a higher return and will
be able to purchase more used books.

The Student Government Association is asking that required
 materials for next semester be turned in to bookstores as
soon as possible.  These efforts truly make a difference,
as noted by the increased amount of money that was given
back to students by the Southern Miss Bookstore this past
fall. Because the Bookstore received more reports of
required materials from the faculty, approximately $650,000
was given to students during the book buyback period at the
end of the fall semester. We truly appreciate your efforts
to help students, however for this term our bookstore has
received only 50% of book adoptions with a due date of
March 15th.

There are two ways to submit your required texts for next
semester. They can be submitted to the Southern Miss
Bookstore online at
www.usm.bkstore.com or by

telephone at (601) 266-4381. I understand that it is nearing the
semester's end and things are hectic for everyone, but with
your cooperation we can lessen a great deal of
dissatisfaction that is felt by many students at the term's
closing. If you have already submitted your required
textbooks for next semester, it is greatly appreciated, and
please disregard this letter. Thank you for your help with
this very important matter.  If Student Government can
serve you in any way please do not hesitate to contact us
at 266-4407.

Sincerely,


Jonathan Krebs
President
Student Government
Association



__________________
Books? We don't need no stinking books...

Date:
Permalink Closed

I am constantly amazed how many students routinely seek to divest themselves of their textbooks instead of viewing them as resources that may be valuable in another class or later on when they start their careers. Then again, I am equally amazed by students who buy the books and never open them...a dream come true for the bookstores that buy them back. The books are in excellent condition. Even the information they contain has never been used.

__________________
Robert Campbell

Date:
Permalink Closed

Angeline,


I'm not entirely sure why the SGA is getting involved... but this is a standard request from a university bookstore.  The Barnes and Noble-run bookstore at Clemson does the same thing. 


The purpose of it is to get enough lead time to scour up as many used copies of each textbook as possible. Plus if B and N knows it will be needing a lot used copies of a book, it will pay much more when buying copies back from students.


The problems with such requests are twofold:


(1) Faculty members may simply not have the time to plan so far in advance.


(2) If you aren't going to teach the course next semester, but know that you are going to use the same book a year from now, telling B and N that won't increase the buyback rates for students.


Barnes and Noble is in a running battle with the textbook publishers, which don't like used textbooks and wish B and N wouldn't stock them.


Robert Campbell



__________________
geesh

Date:
Permalink Closed

your attitude is absolutely amazing. . . . .


We gave students $650,000 in cash back in December, the biggest payout Southern Miss has ever seen.  Our used sales have increased 63% over budget. This resulted in a savings of nearly $375,000 for Southern Miss students.  We installed an additional 20 registers, and reduced wait time during rush to a average of  less then 5 minutes.


Truth, only YOU can affect textbook prices - the margins are set.  Either help or back up.


BTW, Mr. Krebs is a caring, bright young man who will make improvements . . . that is, if it meets your approval, of course.





__________________
printers devil

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:

Originally posted by: geesh

"your attitude is absolutely amazing. . . . . We gave students $650,000 in cash back in December, the biggest payout Southern Miss has ever seen.  Our used sales have increased 63% over budget. This resulted in a savings of nearly $375,000 for Southern Miss students.  We installed an additional 20 registers, and reduced wait time during rush to a average of  less then 5 minutes. Truth, only YOU can affect textbook prices - the margins are set.  Either help or back up. BTW, Mr. Krebs is a caring, bright young man who will make improvements . . . that is, if it meets your approval, of course. "


are margins greater on used books or new books??       i guess more profit on used books, so


it helps those students who wish to sell used books, but on the other hand B&N also makes a greater profit...........


I have a great idea, why not up the repurchase price to students??  Then you can really go over budget for used book repurchase and students will have more money....


I would say the chance of B&N paying more for used textbooks(% of new price) in future is about as good as USM's current basketball coach staying until retirement



__________________
Emma

Date:
Permalink Closed

The bookstore has lots of competition with Amazon etc. on the web. Many students sell and buy books via these means. Even Ebay has its moments.

__________________
Robert Campbell

Date:
Permalink Closed

I hear scarcely a complaint about the Barnes and Noble-run bookstore at Clemson, even from my colleagues who habitually distrust nearly every facet of the market economy.


It could be that Clemson got a better deal out of B and N's corporate management than USM has, or that the Clemson store is better managed than the USM store.  I know that the Clemson store is unusually aggressive about textbook buybacks.


But Barnes and Noble does things pretty much the same wherever it operates.  You can love it or you can hate it, but the company tends to be consistent.


I see just one salient difference between Clemson and USM: the guy who was president when Clemson made the deal with B and N wasn't nearly so widely loathed as Shelby Thames.


If you don't believe the promises made by the B and N managers, by all means track the book prices.


But Barnes and Noble isn't Shelby Thames.


And its top management, in some far-off corporate HQ, can't be tight with Shelby Thames or play kingmaker on his behalf.   It's the local movers and shakers, like Bob Mixon, that everyone needs to be focusing on.


Robert Campbell


 



__________________
Patti

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:

Originally posted by: Books? We don't need no stinking books...

"I am constantly amazed how many students routinely seek to divest themselves of their textbooks instead of viewing them as resources that may be valuable in another class or later on when they start their careers. Then again, I am equally amazed by students who buy the books and never open them...a dream come true for the bookstores that buy them back. The books are in excellent condition. Even the information they contain has never been used."


I will have graduated 9 years ago in June from college, I still have all of my textbooks as I never knew when I might need them.  With the exception of one or two I used them as resources and references.  Granted my legal and ethical aspects of health care makes a good door stop, but even then if I question the ethical standard of something, I pick it up and look it up.  I'd rather eat styrofoam than have to read that book again, but it does have useful information in it.  My anatomy book and my kinesiology book are almost worn out I've used them so much.


Books, you are right however, I do know students who never use their books, I also know of professors who require a book, then never use it.  So it works both ways.



__________________
David Johnson

Date:
RE: RE: RE: Ridiculous request from SGA Pres. Kreb
Permalink Closed


quote:
Originally posted by: Patti

"
I will have graduated 9 years ago in June from college, I still have all of my textbooks as I never knew when I might need them.  With the exception of one or two I used them as resources and references.  Granted my legal and ethical aspects of health care makes a good door stop, but even then if I question the ethical standard of something, I pick it up and look it up.  I'd rather eat styrofoam than have to read that book again, but it does have useful information in it.  My anatomy book and my kinesiology book are almost worn out I've used them so much.
Books, you are right however, I do know students who never use their books, I also know of professors who require a book, then never use it.  So it works both ways.
"


I'm certainly no fan of SGA at USM, but that was under Mr. Cain's leadership. I've met Jonathan Krebs and I do think he is a decent young man, even if I don't always agree with his positions.

That being said, unlike Patti, I will have been graduated (undergrad) for 26 years this August and I don't have a single one of my undergrad books, though I did keep several for a few years before discarding them. The truth is that the cost of college has increased and a lot of our students (not all, but many) do need to save what they can on textbooks. Even as an old grad student, I've had a class (not in social work) where I bought $100 worth of books and there were no readings listed in the syllabus, very little lecture based in the text, and I have only used them sparingly to supplement. It is frustrating as a student.

Not all faculty can plan ahead that far, but many courses don't change core texts every year, so it shouldn't be taken as a slap from Mr. Krebs in making what is a very reasoned argument and, I might add, a very reasonably stated request in this email. It wasn't nasty, it was well-written, and it doesn't deserve to be called "ridiculous."

I'm a huge supporter of our faculty, as those on campus who know me will no doubt attest. If you can't comply with the request for whatever reason, don't comply. It was only a request. If you can, please do. It helps students tremendously.

And, by the way, I think B&N has done as good a job with the textbook center as the university did with it before B&N, and probably better. I notice the extra registers, etc., and they are appreciated!

RC is right. B&N isn't SFT. Let's all keep our eyes on the ball, please.

__________________
Ray Folse

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:

Originally posted by: David Johnson

" I'm certainly no fan of SGA at USM, but that was under Mr. Cain's leadership. I've met Jonathan Krebs and I do think he is a decent young man, even if I don't always agree with his positions. That being said, unlike Patti, I will have been graduated (undergrad) for 26 years this August and I don't have a single one of my undergrad books, though I did keep several for a few years before discarding them. The truth is that the cost of college has increased and a lot of our students (not all, but many) do need to save what they can on textbooks. Even as an old grad student, I've had a class (not in social work) where I bought $100 worth of books and there were no readings listed in the syllabus, very little lecture based in the text, and I have only used them sparingly to supplement. It is frustrating as a student. Not all faculty can plan ahead that far, but many courses don't change core texts every year, so it shouldn't be taken as a slap from Mr. Krebs in making what is a very reasoned argument and, I might add, a very reasonably stated request in this email. It wasn't nasty, it was well-written, and it doesn't deserve to be called "ridiculous." I'm a huge supporter of our faculty, as those on campus who know me will no doubt attest. If you can't comply with the request for whatever reason, don't comply. It was only a request. If you can, please do. It helps students tremendously. And, by the way, I think B&N has done as good a job with the textbook center as the university did with it before B&N, and probably better. I notice the extra registers, etc., and they are appreciated! RC is right. B&N isn't SFT. Let's all keep our eyes on the ball, please."

I concur. David speaks the truth.

__________________
David Johnson

Date:
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Ridiculous request from SGA Pr
Permalink Closed


quote:
Originally posted by: Ray Folse

"I concur. David speaks the truth."


Thanks, Ray. Can't get a more credible concurrence than that!

Good to see you last week. Maybe we can get together for coffee after graduation and before I leave for TX!
DJ

__________________
manova (asdf)

Date:
RE: Ridiculous request from SGA Pres. Krebs
Permalink Closed


I just got an email from the bookstore manager at my school today reminding me that I did not submit my fall textbooks by today.  The email said, "Your timely response to this request will help us ensure textbooks are available before the start of classes.  Additionally, we will be able to pay your students more money at buyback."  Our bookstore is run by Follett (I think), not B&N.  This is not an uncommon request.


I think it is nice that an SGA president is at least trying to do something for the common student as opposed to only acting as a cheerleader for athletics and the administration.



__________________
David Johnson

Date:
Permalink Closed

quote:
Originally posted by: manova (asdf)

"I just got an email from the bookstore manager at my school today reminding me that I did not submit my fall textbooks by today.  The email said, "Your timely response to this request will help us ensure textbooks are available before the start of classes.  Additionally, we will be able to pay your students more money at buyback."  Our bookstore is run by Follett (I think), not B&N.  This is not an uncommon request.
I think it is nice that an SGA president is at least trying to do something for the common student as opposed to only acting as a cheerleader for athletics and the administration.
"


I agree, manova. We need to bear in mind that Mr. Krebs was elected by the students to represent their interests. At least he is making an effort to do so. That's to be commended and encouraged.

__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard