Butte College
News Announcement

Butte College A Leader in Reducing Student Textbook Costs:

Saves Students $2 Million in Textbook Fees

On average, a college student will pay more for books and supplies each semester than the costs of tuition and fees. The high costs concerned Butte College instructors so much that they are helping cut the costs of textbooks for students by finding free Open Educational Resources (OER) to replace costly printed textbooks.

“Butte College is a statewide leader in reducing textbook costs and saving students money. Our Butte faculty are dedicated to finding and creating the best free resources for our students,” said Suzanne Wakim, Butte College’s Zero-Textbook-Cost Coordinator and Biology Instructor. “OER textbooks are free and students can download, print, and share the books. Students can also find classes using free textbooks by looking for the Zero-Textbook-Cost (ZTC) logo in the schedule for classes. Students who prefer printed textbooks, can purchase low-cost bound books through the Butte College Bookstore.”

Wakim noted Butte’s ZTC program started five years ago and during that time the college has increased the number of ZTC sections from 17 to 227. More than 100 instructors are now using OER textbooks for their classes. This practice saved students $380,000 last semester alone. Students can complete all of the general education requirements with ZTC classes. Some of the ZTC degree and certificates offered include psychology, child and adolescent development, and early childhood education.

Rising cost of textbooks is a barrier to many students. Over 31 percent of Butte students surveyed confirmed they take fewer classes each semester due to the cost of textbooks. Students also reported they take classes without buying the textbook, 40 percent, with 16 percent later withdrawing, while 17 percent reported failing the class.

Butte College is partnering with the California Academic Senate to support the development of new OER textbooks. Butte College faculty are developing textbooks for biology, psychology, communication studies, and Spanish versions of early childhood education.

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