With the cost of Bakersfield College tuition staying at a relatively low price, purchasing textbooks is often the greatest burden on a student budget. The high cost of reading materials can sometimes lead to a gap in time between when students start a class and when they are able to purchase the required books.
Luckily, for many struggling students, professors can place the books on reserve in the school’s library and many do just that.
“It is an advantage most certainly for students who can’t afford a book or have to wait until their Pell Grant comes through,” said Bakersfield College Bookstore manager Jennifer Caughron.
Unfortunately, because current policy leaves the decision and financial obligation of providing reserve textbooks up to the professor of each course, some students are unable to gain access to the required material if the professor decides not to make it available.
“It’s totally up to professors and many put both their required and optional textbooks on reserve,” said Marci Lingo, a Bakersfield College reference librarian.
“Many professors feel that it’s of great benefit. Other professors want their students to own a book because they recognize if it is difficult for them to read a book and have to come to the library, they might be less likely to do it,” said Lingo.
The result of such policy leaves students in-need at a disadvantage in the ability to complete coursework.
Lingo continued to say, “There are always students who come up and their professor’s book is not on reserve and the question we always ask is ‘Has the professor said the book is on reserve?’ and they say no, but they know other students who come over and use them.”
According to Caughron, there are many programs that provide auxiliary funding for textbooks and work directly with the bookstore. There is however, no direct link to the financial aid office and the bookstore, nor does any such credit line exist to extended funding to students awaiting an aid payment.
Caughron cited such programs as the Extended Programs Opportunity and Services voucher worth $200 that provides a way for students to defer textbook costs.
“There are a lot of options, it’s just whether you qualify. With the budget, of course, a lot of funded programs have been cut significantly so the money is not really there anymore,” said Caughron.
It is the opinion of The Renegade Rip editorial board that if Bakersfield College is truly dedicated to the education of students than a new policy should be created and funding provided for placing every required textbook on reserve in the library.
Dean of Students Joyce Coleman said that the Student Government Association of BC might be the organization that can take on such a project.
“I think it would be a great proposal to suggest to the SGA that they purchase books to put in the library on reserve,” said Coleman.
Kristi Newsom, BC Student Government Association president, said she would be interested in the SGA possibly funding such a new project.
“I think every student should have an opportunity to go get the book from there. I know if I didn’t have help for my books, I wouldn’t be able to buy them,” said Newsom. “Especially when you don’t get your money on time. Especially when it’s a hard class when you need it the first day, like math.”
While textbook revisions and curriculum changes would require an annual update to the school’s textbook collection, the initial cost would be the most daunting.
Despite these hardships, the college should make every effort to provide students with the materials needed to complete their coursework.