I received an email from someone in the book store. She complained about my video for my online economics course. In the video I explained that I often request older editions of the textbook because students can buy it cheaper and realistically, all economics textbooks do is "change the name of the hurricane" and print a new edition. That's an exaggeration, of course, but economic theory does not change much from year to year. The bookstore stocks the book - new or used - from $125 to $275. I had seen the old edition on websites such as Amazon from under $20 to $75. It's an economics course. Textbooks are a perfect learning experience.
Really? Guess who learned something!
Moments after I read the email, about 8:50 AM, the Dean appeared at my door. I laughed when I saw her.
The Dean's big concern was that the bookstore was upset. The Dean didn't want me to tell students that they could buy the textbook elsewhere. I asked if we had an agreement that required students to buy the textbook from the bookstore. I told her I would like to see anything we had in writing. She said there was no written agreement, but she said we had an "understanding."
I was trying to teach an "understanding" of the free market!
I explained I told students they could buy the book from either the bookstore or somewhere else, such as amazon.com. I was not promoting any place in particular... I was just explaining the facts. I did not promote any site on my website. In fact, the video was of me sitting at my laptop typing in the book's ISBN into Google.
I said it was my obligation as an economics teacher to talk about this concept. She said she didn't want me saying anything in my classes about other places to buy textbooks.
I maintained it was in the best interest of the students to tell them about alternatives. She argued students find out about these things on their own.
Beautiful. Here's the Dean telling faculty not to tell students how to buy a cheap textbook. Poor students pay extra. Students learn the truth from others and not the teacher. That's higher education?
I thought the topic was over. A week later I received a request for another visit. The Dean left a phone message asking me to take down the video. She stated she had been talking to the Manager at the bookstore. She told that Manager that I agreed to take down the video. In fact, I did not agree to that.
She wanted me to consider the Bookstore's point of view. They have shipping costs and additional costs if they have to return books. They are a small operation and cannot compete with large companies like Amazon.
So, poor students should pay $275 for a book they could get elsewhere for $20 just because the people in the bookstore want to make money? The Dean cared more about hurting the feelings of the bookstore workers than she did the pocketbooks of our students.
I did take down the video. I could be a compliant underling. Of course, by then we were nearing midterms and anyone who hadn't bought the book for $20 online deserved to pay $275. Besides, if they hadn't bought it already, they probably didn't plan on buying it.
In subsequent semesters, I didn't put up a video. I just explained on the first day that I wanted the students to go to the bookstore and pay full price for the textbook. Things that cost more are better. So, I told them to go and pay full price at the bookstore instead of typing the ISBN (which was clearly marked on the syllabus) into google and finding a used copy of the book. That used textbook may have been previously read by a "D Student" or even worse! I explained they didn't want their eyes reading the same pages as an "F student" or even a "C- student."
The students learned about the free market. They learned about sarcasm. And they learned that respect is not bought - but earned. |
