Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, May 16, 1986
Officials say
bill may pass
I
Fenced in Daily Photo by ANDI SCHREIBER
Cal Brown (left) and Ray Harris end their day at the construction site on the corner of South University
and South Forest.
Students endure reselling books
By MARY CHRIS JAKLEVIC
University administrators and
state officials predicted a bill that
would require public universities
to ensure English competency for
foreign-born faculty will pass the
state legislature. Administrators
last week had expressed concern
that the bill would violate the
University's autonomy from the
state.
Most administrators have not
read the bill, proposed by Sen. Joe
Conroy (D-Flint), but those who
have say the state is not over-
stepping its bounds.
"It sounds as if the Senator is
trying to give the institutions
autonomy," said Roberta Palmer,
assistant to the vice president for
government relations.
LAST WEEK University Vice
President for Academic Affiars
and Provost James Duderstadt
speculated the bill could threaten
the University's independence
provided in the state constitution
by "undermining the autonomy of
the institution to determine its own
faculty."
Conroy said the bill was a reac-
tion to years of student complaints
that foreign teaching assistants of-
ten cannot communicate effec-
tively with students. The bill
would require public universities
to insure that all instructors are
proficient in English, but it gives
no standard and leaves implemen-
tation entirelty up to each in-
stitution.
"We want to leave the univer-
sitiesbwith as much autonomy as
possible," Conroy said.
THE BILL now stands in the
Senate Higher Education and
Technology committee, which will
hold a hearing Wednesday. Com-
mittee chairperson, William
Sederberg (R-East Lansing),
believes the bill will pass, even if
University administrators voice
opposition. He said senators will
vote for the bill in response to
students and parents who have
complained about teaching
assistant quality.
A similar bill was passed in Ohio
last month, the first of its kind in
the nation.
Prof. Herb Asher, Ohio State
University's Legislative Liaison,
said the Ohio bill did not threaten
universities' autonomy. since it
leaves implementation up to each
university.
Asher said some Ohio univer-
sity administrators were concer-
ned that once the state was
allowed to take one step in influen-
cing university decisions, there
would be a precedcent for it to
request more. Asher disagrees
with this "slippery slope"
argument.
"It was not heavy-handed. The
state was simply telling us to solve
the problem. We did not think it
was an issue to fight the
legislature about."
The University of Michigan has
been dependent on TAs since the
1960s when enrollment soared and
the faculty-student ratio suffered
as a result. Last fall there were
about 1,800 graduate teaching
assistants at the university,
mostly concentrated in
engineering, science, and math
courses. Just over one quarter of
these are foreign born.
Palmer said she plans to attend
Wednesday's hearing, although
she is not sure if she will testify.
By DOUG WOLFE
College textbooks can teach
everything from the history of
Europe to the structure of DNA.
But some students trying to sell their
books back this spring are
discovering that intellectual value
does not always translate into
dollars and cents.
Steve Borsand, an engineering
senior, usually saves his textbooks
for future reference. When he
decided to sell them back to
Ulrich's last year, however, he
was disappointed. "They gave me
five bucks for five books," Bor-
sand said. "What a ripoff!"
THE THREE Ann Arbor
booksellers who buy books back
from customers - Ulrich's Books,
University Cellar, and Barnes and
Noble - insist that they do not
want to cheat anyone.
"If we think a book is going to be
used again (at the University)
next year, and it's in good con-
dition, then we'll pay 50 percent,"
said Irv Scheel, a textbook depar-
tment manager at Ulrich's.
"That's the same price that the
national book wholesalers charge
us for a used book."
New copies of hardcover books
such as the standard text for Math
115 run close to $40. Ulrich's will
pay students up to $20 for a used
copy, and the other stores follow
the same policy.
"OF COURSE, there are limits
to the number of copies we need of
each book," Scheel said. "And the
price will fall as our stock in-
creases."
If the retailers determine that a
book will not be required next
year, they may still buy it in order
to resell it to one of several
national book wholesalers. These
companies buy and sell used books
from college book stores across
the country.
In that case, according to Jim
Junker of the Barnes and Noble
textbook department, the local
retailer will pay a student the
wholesale price.
UNFORTUNATELY for studen-
ts, wholesalers only pay 10 percent
to one-third of a book's original list
price.
To some student's however, set-
tling for wholesale prices is accep-
table. When publishers introduce a
new edition of an old book, the old
edition becomes worthless. Not
even the national wholesalers are
willing to buy outdated editions.
Professor Edward Rothman, for
example, is currently writing the
second edition of a basic text book
for Statistics 402. Students who
took the course winter term and
paid as much as $24 for the old
edition will not be able to sell it
back.
Textbook publishers help
create this situation by frequently
producing new editions of books
without substantial changes in
content, according to Junker.
"When a new edition comes out,"
he said, "the old edition is wor-
thless."
But Parker Ladd, director of the
higher education division of the
American Association of
Publishers, contends that
publishers produce new editions
only when they are truly needed.
"We publish revised editions
whenever the academic world
demands them," Ladd said.
To determine which books will
be required for future courses, the
local bookstores jointly operate a
Text Book Reporting Service that
solicits information by mail from
University professors and depar-
tments. Up to 75 percent of the
professors have not yet released
their book selections for fall term,
according to Sue Zeller, a service
administrator.
ZELLER SAID she does not ex-
pect to have a complete book list
until October 1. Until then, each
store's employees will have to rely
on experience and intuition when
they buy back books.
According to Scheel, many
professors and departments are
fickle with their book selection.
"Biology 305 is a good example,"
he said. "For the last five fall ter-
ms, the professor has used five dif-
ferent text books."
TEXTBOOK publishers, who
make no money on used book
sales, provide additional pressure.
"The publishersasendsout field
men every year," said Com-
munications professor William
Porter. "They try to convince us to
use their new products."
Vol. XCVI - No. 2-S
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967 X) is published Friday during
the spring and summer terms and Monday through Friday
during the fall and winter terms. Subscription rates: May through
August-$5.00 in Ann Arbor; $7.00 outside the city. September
through April-$18.00 in Ann Arbor; $35.00 outside the city. One
term-$10.00 in town; $20 outside the city.
The Michigan Daily is a member of the Associated Press and
subscribes to Los Angeles Times Syndicate and College Press
Service.
A SILVER TANNING CENTER
Stadium Centre, 18% W. Stadium at Pauline
Ph. 662-2602
ANN ARBOR'S NEWEST & MOST MODERN TANNING CENTER
------------------------ - ----I
I ou Coupon '
I One Week of Unlimited Tanning for $24.95 I
I (I session per day in a bed or HEX) I
Expires 31lMay1986 MD I
L---- -- -- - ---------- - -"- - ---""-"-"1
I
Editor in Chief . . .. .. .. ... JER RY MA RKON
Associate Rewrite Editors . .... ROB EARLE
AMY MINDELL
KERY MURAKAMI
NIRS STAFF MeissaB irks, ,,aB
ent, D oY CohMn,ElnFedehot, Marti
Frank, Amy Goldstein, Mary Chris Jaklevic,
Phiip tevy, Caroine Muller, Eugene Pak,
Opinion Page Editors . ...PETER EPHROSS
GAY LE KIRSH ENBAUM
Arts Editors .,......, .. NOELLE BROWER
BETH FERTIG
Associate Arts Editor . .. REBECCA CHUNG
ARTS STAFF: Peter Ephross,. Molly Gross,
Julie Jurrjens, John Logie, Rob Michaels,
Alan Paul, Mike Rubin, Kurt Serbus
Photo Editor ...... .. .. AND[ SCHREIBER
Sports Editor ....... ...DAVE ARETHA
Associate Sports EditorsMARBR WK
MASK BOROWSKY
ADAM MARTIN
PH IL NUSSE L
SPORTS STAFF: Emi yBridgham, Paul Dodd,
Business Manager ..... MASON FRANKLIN
DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES STAFF:
Barb Calderoni, Nenita Nucum, Julie Recla,
Michael Tobocman.
PHONE NUMBERS: News room (313) 764-0552, Arts 763-0379,
Sports 763-0376, Circulation 764-0558, Classified Advertising 764-
0557, Display Advertising 764-0554, Billing 764-0550.