The Associated Students of Madison Coordinating Council met Wednesday to discuss a textbook affordability resolution that will be developed in the upcoming weeks.
Student Service Finance Committee Representative Colin Barushok explained the resolution would focus not on textbooks and tuition, but on the extra costs of attending class.
This would include educational resources and applications like iClickers and Top Hat, which he said place a financial burden on students because they must purchase them to receive a good grade in the class.
“This is not fair,” Barushok said. “This discriminates against poorer students and anyone else who does not want to buy these things.”
The resolution would prohibit all fees for academic resources except for textbooks and laboratory fees.
Council members agreed students should not be strongly encouraged to purchase these tools with the incentive of a higher grade, rather the tools should be strictly optional.
Barushock stated his peers have dropped classes due to the financial barriers that accompany them, such as these resources that require additional purchases.
ASM Chair Madison Laning said she believes everything necessary for classes should be available on reserve, or students should be able to find a used version.
Additionally, Laning said there are other mechanisms that can be implemented to utilize these resources without tying them to a student’s grade, if the professor believes the resources are advancing a student’s academics.
“Forcing someone to buy something in order to get by in a class without any other option to getting a good grade should be, in my opinion, prohibited,” Laning said.
Without these extra expenses, council members said students can engage and be involved in classes without additional financial burdens.
The council intends to send the proposal to Student Council for a vote March 2 and then eventually to UW-Madison administration.
