Textbook Affordability at Smith College: Affirming Smith's Commitment to creating an inclusive, equitable and accessible educational community

Author

Natalie Laroche, Smith College

Publication Date

2023-5

Document Type

Capstone

Study Type

CCX 320

Advisors

Denys Candy

Keywords

textbooks, Smith college, inclusion, education, equity, accessibility, proposal

Abstract

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s (PIRG) Education Fund, notes that “in 2020, 65 percent of students surveyed reported skipping buying a textbook because of cost” (Vitez & Nagle, n.d.). The costs of course materials are rising at astronomical rates. According to the Student PIRGs, “the cost of textbooks and course materials has increased at three times the rate of inflation since the 1970s” (Xie, 2023). Textbooks are unnecessarily expensive and are increasingly a barrier to education access and student success. Extensive research has demonstrated that while publishers can get away with (and profit off of) high prices, students who need these resources to complete their education are suffering.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Rights

© 2023 Natalie Laroche

Comments

Capstone for The Community Engagement and Social Change Concentration (CESC)

Recommended Citation

Laroche, Natalie, "Textbook Affordability at Smith College: Affirming Smith's Commitment to creating an inclusive, equitable and accessible educational community" (2023). Capstone, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/other_projects/220