2 News
Clackamas P
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
Book rentals to be offered in fc
Kenton Benfield
The Clackamas Print
At the beginning of every
term, students face the daunt
ing prospect of paying for it
all.
The second largest cost
for the average student, after
tuition, is represented by the
textbooks that accompany
most classes. In fact, textbook
prices have ratcheted up over
the years, general
ly faster than infla
tion.
For Bookstore
Director
David
Holcomb, this is
not news.
“Across
the
United
States,
there has been a
lot of conversation
and concern about
textbook prices,”
Holcomb said.
HOLCOMB
A
possible
solution to these
expenses is for
college bookstores
to offer a textbook
rental program -
similar to a library
but not free - to
help cut costs for
students.
Soon, Clackamas
will have its own rental pro
gram, to be piloted Fall Term
of 2008.
“That’s great, actually,”
said student Mike Takeyama.
“It helps those of [us] that
have to pay our way.”
A rental program would
allow a student to pay a frac
tion of a book’s cost - rough
ly 35 percent - for an entire
term and then return it at
the term’s end. If the student
wanted to keep the book, then
he or she would be charged
the remaining 65 percent. The
same thing would happen if
he or she never returned the
book or did so but had dam
aged it significantly.
The idea has been under
investigation since last fall,
but only recently did the pro
posal go before the textbook
committee and, finally, the
College Council. The initial
program will not be available
for all book titles, but rather
about 10 to 15 options will
be offered, spanning multi
ple classes, as decided by the
teaching faculty.
Ideally, the book candi
dates for the program would
consist of the more expensive
and popular titles that tend to
remain in their current edi
tion for at least two years.
As book editions are con
stantly updated, keeping up a
rentable stock would become
cost-prohibitive.
Also, not all titles would
be eligible, such as tear-out
workbooks and books with
supplemental material such as
CD-ROM disks, if the course
required those extras.
While it may not seem
obvious, there are some
major logistical hurdles to
jump before the program can
be expanded to include the
majority of titles.
“The challenge to starting
a brand new rental program
is for somebody like us ... we
estimate that it would cost $3
million to start a complete,
full-blown rental program,”
Holcomb said.
This amount is the-price of
the inventory that would need
to be on-hand to support every
title. Not only must the book
store procure a new computer
software tracking syst
the simple need for
tory space to store the
would require a dou|
the current floor spac;
These constraints
feasible, and as such,
program will be limi
trial period or marks
for now. This pilot ]
is slated to last for tw
after which a further <
will conceivably be m
Although the Ass
Student Government
book exchange and te
can be purchased onli
advantage to the rent
gram is that students
have to worry about sei
the books later. Furth
buying online can
unpredictable and
results due to shippinj
With the coming rei
gram, students can e
save approximately
cent of textbook co
receive their books
free on the spot.
Now it may be pos
afford to eat someth
besides Top Ramen fo
TUTORS: Positions are open in all tutor
ing departments, math hit the hardest
Continued from TUTORS, Page 1
The rift between tutors and those who
require their aid is the product of an increase in
tutor requests and a slight decrease in applica
tions for tutoring jobs, along with the fact that
many former tutors have recently moved on to
four-year universities.
At $9 an hour, some tutors work in between
classes in order to make extra money, and not
enough can work the hours necessary to help
all of the individuals in need.
Another department that has not escaped
the shortage unscathed is the Writing Center,
the campus’ only resource for writing tutors.
According to Carol Burnell, an English
instructor and the Writing Center coordinator,
the Writing Center is frequently manned by
just one person.
Too often time slots throughout the day
are unavailable to students due to the lack of
tutors and a budget that won’t allow more
people to be hired as part-time staff.
The result, Burnell said, is only 20 hours
of available tutoring time per week
Burnell believes that with just an extra
10 hours per week, the department could
Mistymarie Wilks-Salguero Clackanu
meet students’ needs and even offer some
James
Morris,
center,
carefully
surveys
a
packed
math tutoring lab.
online or evening sessions.
Unfortunately, this would require double
school, this is not a likely scenario for the near Hall. Students wishing to acquire I
the current budget for part-time staff, and
stop by and sign up.
with budget cuts taking place throughout the future.
Tutoring at Clackamas
For further information rega
is open to nearly every Writing Center, Burnell can be read
subject and is always free. 5188.
All a student has to do, for
To become a tutor in the Writins
any area besides writing, is student must contact an English in
go to the tutoring services the college from whom he or she b
department - room 141
class. The instructor must acknow:
in the Community Center the student passed the course with a
- and speak with Tutoring a“B.”
Services Specialist Adam
The same process is necessary in
Kriss. Kriss will give the become a tutor for another subject bu
student a card for his or her the consent of an instructor who wo
instructor to sign. Then, he appropriate department.
With no clear end in sight, student
or she will be set up with
a tutor.
on the hunt for academic aid will be
The Writing Center is fend for themselves in some situate
located in room 240, on they are willing to be patient, the i
the second floor of Barlow available.
Proof of citizenship needed for driver
iy
n
Theillegal mmigration issue simmered just below
a
Monday as the Oregon Senate approved a bill to requi
legal U.S. esidence to get a driver’s license in the stat.
The measure was sent to the House on a 23-7 vote aft«
ers said Oregon’s loose rules have made the state a tar
j.
citizens who seekto obtain identification cards for “nc.
pwposes.
iposes up te»•• *
Several senators who voted “no” Said the requiremcN "
ate hardships for many of the state's undocumented wc.kc“
force them to drive unlicensed with no insurance.
The measure would largely place into state statutes tig"']
identification requirements that are included in an execute-
by Gov. Ted Kulongoski that went into effect las’ week.
< Under those requirements, people seeking to obtain. ren|j
or replace ah existing license are required to provide a ‘ - ;
Security numberor other proof of legal residence that c- t
verified by the state Driver and Motor Vehicle Service
Additionally, immigrants must show' they have a c
to be «tele to get a
v.as lor
the visa is valU
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-The Moated Press "
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