Along with limited parking, unsatisfactory food and tuition, the price of textbooks at the bookstore is one of the most angering issues for students. When compared to online retailers like Amazon and Chegg, the St. Edward’s bookstore sells some textbooks at quadruple the price. Students, for many years, have explained the drastic price difference as yet another way for the university to squeeze money out of them, but the textbook business is far more complex than that.
The St. Edward’s University bookstore is owned and run by a third party vendor called Texas Book Company. The company has been a part of St. Edward’s University for # years and currently has a # year contract with St. Edward’s. As a contracted third party vendor, they have agreements with the university that includes them paying rent for the Fondren building that they use- a factor that bookstore manager, Tim Jackson, says influences the price increase.
“Interview from Tim”
*EXPLAIN DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT TIM SAYS CAUSE THE PRICE DIFFERENCE*
Going through a publisher
Professors choose what book they want for their class(bkstre tries to see if paperbac possible or if access code can be removed so cost is less)
online shops do not have logistical costs like rent, utilities, etc.
amazon
margin 25% profit agreed to by university
*TALK TO UNVERSITY ADMIN ABOUT THEIR CONTRACT WITH BKSTORE.
*GET SOME STUDENT VOICE*
November 30, 2016 at 9:00 pm
I can understand why this could be a topic overdone, but I think if you get a lot of real students and their voice into the story, it will be really interesting to read. You definitely want to profile a student like a nursing student or science student who have the most expensive books and then pick a comm student like me haha who pays about $200 on books or something. You could even focus on how often the book is even used since some teachers make you get a book but you barely read it or even discuss it in class.
I think once you get more info out of the bookstore on their contracts, your story will definitely take a turn. But I really think following how many additional expenses students face other than the outrageous tuition. I think the medium you choose here should be a written one, but you didn’t list which one you were doing. I think also sound would be cool, interviewing the students and this Tim guy (if he’ll let you record him).
Video would be hard to do since no one is really buying books right now, so there wouldn’t be really anything to film in the bookstore.
I’m interesting to hear more about how the bookstore works and what the range is like for different students with different majors.
I’d give you tips on writing haha but I’m the one who needs more help with that.
Good luck!
Rafi