August 29, 2023 – The president of the Canyon, TX campus announced by letter to students, faculty and staff that the university will be moving to eliminate the need for students to pay for textbooks by the Fall semester starting in 2024. The university is also encouraging faculty to explore how artificial intelligence can be used as a teaching aid.
The purchase of reference books and digital materials like style guides may still be required for courses, but Wendler said many virtual options are available to replace them as well. The university has also agreed provide additional free printing to students who wish to have a physical copy of course materials, Wendler said. Students’ allotment of free pages to print will be increased from 1,500 to 3,000, though students may be able to print more pages if they need them, he said.
The average college textbook in the U.S. is estimated to cost $105.37, and in-state undergraduates at four-year universities pay $1,226 in average a year for required books and supplies, according to the Education Data Initiative.
Wendler acknowledged the transition might be challenging but he said he is hopeful West Texas A&M will be able to eliminate textbook costs by next year’s fall semester. The university will offer more than a dozen workshops this semester to teach faculty and staff how they can use artificial intelligence and other digital tools when developing course materials.
Wendler’s letter also states that the various colleges will provide the funding in case a textbook is required, but no further details were provided on how that will actually work.
