Open-source textbooks make the grade

With the price of education rising, more students should acknowledge the benefits of open-source textbooks, especially for introductory courses. 

Open-source textbooks are written through a collaboration between professors and experts under an open license. Students can download them for free or print them at a low cost, according to The New York Times. Compare that to the average cost for books and supplies per year at a typical four-year college — between $1,200 and $1,300. 

We understand that open-source textbooks cannot entirely replace traditional textbooks in higher-level classes, in which material is often nuanced and students geartoward a degree in the subject. 

However, why should English majors have to pay hundreds of dollars for textbooks in their general education requirement classes, and considering 

universities force students to take such classes, why should they or professors force them to pay for supplies that are not necessary with the option of open-source books? 

They shouldn’t. Some professors, however, do not agree.

Greg Mankiw, a Harvard economics professor and author of the popular economics textbook “Principles of Economics,” notes, “Would you keep doing your job if you stopped being paid?” Mankiw’s question reflects the issue of incentive in writing these open-source books. However, many qualified professors have collaborated to produce inexpensive, open-licensed books that help to educate college students on the foundations of many courses, including microeconomics and sociology.

Universities should not sacrifice education at the college level for the profits of a select group of academics. Such academics and their textbooks are certainly valuable, but, at the introductory level, students should take greater advantage of open-source textbooks, as should their professors. 

We often talk about the importance of making college affordable. Here is a solution. Let’s pursue it.