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1
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 692

 
2     WHEREAS, Postsecondary education is increasingly an
3 essential credential for success in the modern economy; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Affordability of a college degree is a growing
5 concern to students, families, and State policymakers; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The cost of textbooks is a substantial and
7 escalating burden for students; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Other states have undertaken legislative and
9 administrative measures to curtail the rising expense of
10 textbook purchases; therefore, be it
 
11     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
12 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Board of Higher
13 Education, in conjunction with the Illinois Community College
14 Board and public universities and community colleges, shall
15 conduct a thorough and comprehensive study of the cost and
16 feasibility of implementing textbook rental programs at public
17 universities and community colleges; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall explore
19 the feasibility of various funding sources to establish a
20 revolving fund to finance start-up costs for textbook rental
21 programs at public universities and community colleges; and be
22 it further
 
23     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall examine
24 measures considered or adopted in other states, including the
25 unbundling of software or other supplementary materials from
26 the sale of textbooks; the public listing of titles, prices,
27 and ISBN numbers of required textbooks; and the disclosure of
28 textbook costs to faculty; and be it further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall
2 investigate the potential for technology to reduce textbook
3 costs, including online book swaps, an electronic
4 clearinghouse for the purchase of textbooks, and e-book
5 alternatives to published textbooks; and be it further
 
6     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall, for
7 each of the issues set forth for investigation in this
8 resolution: (1) solicit and report in its findings the views of
9 private entities that currently operate bookstores either on
10 behalf of or independent of one or more public universities or
11 community colleges in this State, including, but not limited
12 to, the National Association of College Stores, the Illinois
13 Retail Merchants Association, Follett Higher Education Group,
14 and other entities operating as campus bookstore managers; and
15 (2) solicit and report the views of textbook authors and
16 publishers, including, but not limited to, the Association of
17 American Publishers, the Association of American University
18 Presses, postsecondary textbook publishers, and faculty
19 representatives; and be it further; and
 
20     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education, the
21 Department of Revenue, and the Department of Commerce and
22 Economic Opportunity shall thoroughly assess and report in the
23 Board of Higher Education's findings the economic impact that
24 current textbook purchasing arrangements and that a textbook
25 rental program and other cost-saving alternatives would have on
26 public universities and community colleges, State government,
27 local governments, students, and private entities that
28 currently operate bookstores either on behalf of or independent
29 of one or more public universities or community colleges in
30 this State; and be it further
 
31     RESOLVED, That the Board of Higher Education shall report
32 its findings and recommendations to the chairpersons of the
33 Higher Education and Appropriations III Committees of the

 

 

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1 Senate no later than January 15, 2007; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
3 delivered to the Governor, the chairperson of the Board of
4 Higher Education, the chairperson of the Illinois Community
5 College Board, and the president of each public university and
6 community college in this State.