Missed deadlines raise textbook prices

Students can expect to pay a price for missing a deadline, such as a lower grade. But what student would expect to pay a price when a professor misses a deadline?

Professors must meet deadlines to order the textbooks for next semester.

The book requests, called requisitions, must be turned in on time to avoid an increase in the price of the books, said Roman Gulon, general manager of Forty Niner Shops Inc.

When the requisitions come in a week before class starts, it costs extra to get the books shipped overnight, Gulon said.

The freight costs vary, but the cost of the books can increase 2-5 percent, he said.

"It's becoming more and more of a problem," Gulon said.

The due date for requisitions for fall 2000 was in March.

The Bookstore tries to get professors to turn in their requisitions on time with the help of many people, including college deans and department secretaries, Gulon said.

Professors are not penalized for turning in late requisitions, Gulon said.

A.S.I. President Toby Sexton, a member of the University Bookstore board of directors, said he wants to encourage professors to turn in their requisitions on time.

"The reason for the deadline is to make sure books get shipped on time, in the cheapest way," Sexton said. "If the faculty is aware of the increased price, then they might be more responsible."

In some cases, it is hard to get the requisitions in on time, Gulon said.

Many of the part-time faculty for the semester may not be in place when the deadline passes.

Books cannot be chosen until the faculty is chosen, Gulon said.

"It's very beneficial for the Bookstore to know which books are going to be used for the next year," Sexton said.

Another problem, Sexton said, is if the Bookstore doesn't know what books are being used for the next semester,  they cannot buy the books back from students at a reasonable price.

"That's why you get a quarter or a dollar" for some books, Sexton said.

Junior Chad Greene said that he was unaware of the increased price in books due to overnight fees.

"Professors should be able to take care of it on time," Greene said.