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E-books and rentable texts part of bookstore upgrade
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35.7 percent of all the required or recommended titles this
term. The bookstore only rents texts that are widely used or
going into a new edition.
Jim Cope, regional manager of Follett Higher Education
Group, said students save between 50 to 55 percent renting
books verses buying them.
Cope pointed to the numbers to show how much this
program is already saving students.
"(So far) this semester Guilford College bookstore sold
2,124 rental textbooks, saving students over $68,000 in total,"
Cope said.
Senior Henry Catania said even with the savings extended
by Follett, book publishers are still inflating their products
considerably.
"Even with 50 percent savings, the publishers are still
pillaging college students," said Catania.
Text Book Manager Betsy Beard said the only student
complaint she's been made aware of is connected to the
registration form found on the bookstore's website. Beard
encouraged students to call her with any questions or
concerns.
"Sometimes students get a little confused when entering
billing information, but this is easily fixed," said Beard.
E-books are much less popular not only because of the high
cost, but also because some vendors don't have the option of
allowing students to print pages. Most vendors only allow
the reader to view the book for a period of time before the
license to read expires.
"This is one of the most incredible
times of change we've seen in the
book business in a very long time."
Jon Varneil, vice president for administration
Other complaints regarding e-books are linked with the
pricing.
Most publishers have not reduced the price of e-books, so
there is little incentive to switch from traditional to electronic
books.
Sophomore Jeffery Jarvis, a philosophy major, said that
e-books are attractive because they lend themselves to
sustainability.
"I like that e-books are seemingly good for the environment,
but I want to build a library of books relating to my field of
study," said Jarvis.
Follett's e-book options include owning the book for life,
as opposed to most outlets which rent books for a period
of time and do not give the reader the option to print out
e-books. Follett also included the option to print.
Senior Matthew Sinclair, an education studies and
psychology double-major, said that students will be more
interested in renting texts as opposed to buying.
He pointed to the meager return when selling books back
to the college.
"Many students return their books at the end of the
semester and we all know that the bookstore doesn't always
buy them back at a premium rate," said Sinclair.
Rita Serotkin, dean for continuing education and director
of summer school, said rentals may only work for certain
classes, but she is for anything that would save students
money.
"For some courses, that might be alright," said Serotkin,
"But for others, where the basic text is one you may need
to go back to as a reference and refresher, buying would be
better and make more sense."
Study abroad pairs academic and travel opportunities
By Terah Kelleher
Staff Writer
On Sept. 8, the 4th annual study
abroad fair was held: Inquisitive
students moved around tables with
looks of excitement at the prospect
of studying abroad.
A major theme of the Strategic
Long Range Plan (SLRP) Committee
at Guilford is the emphasis on
experiential learning. A study
abroad program is one approach
to fulfill that mission. Over a third
of the students at Guilford's main
campus take advantage of the
study abroad programs available.
"Plan ahead with your
particular advisor and then come
l?y the study abroad office," said
Jim Hood, director of the study
abroad program. "The greatest
impediment to study abroad is lack
of planning. Make sure you check
your curricular requirements.."
The study abroad programs at
Guilford offer a variety of droices
that fit each student's needs. A
total of 14 Guilford-affiliated
program locations are available
and organized in a way where a
student directly enrolls with the
participating foreign university.
There are five Guilford-led
programs and they involve a faculty
leader choosing a certain number of
students for a program. Student's
options range from locations such
as Ghana, London, Munich, Siena,
and Brunnenburg.
In addition, the School for Field
Studies (SFS) is a Guilford-affiliated
program that engages students
in field research in locations such
as Australia, Costa Rica, Kenya,
Mexico, or the Turks and Caicos
Islands. The program encourages
collaboration between local
community partners and students
to address crucial environmental
problems.
Senior and biology major, Riley
Ramage,studied abroad in Tanzania
and Kenya .
"I think the process was fairly
simple," said Ramage. " At the
beginning, I was a little confused
about all the different things I
needed to get done in order to
study abroad, but once I went to the
study abroad office everyone was
very helpful and basically gave me
a step-by-step packet of everything
I needed to do and get signed."
Internships are another way
for students to experience both the
world and a potential career at the
same time.
Senior and English major
Chelsea Rivas, studied abroad in
Sienna, Italy last spring semester.
She interned as an English teacher
at the La Scuola Bandini and taught
English to 15 and 16 year-olds.
"The experience helped me
learn Italian and made me consider
teaching English again in other
countries," said Rivas.
"I think being able to experience
my potential future work
environment first-hand was
extremely valuable in forming my
ideas about what I want to do with
my life," said Ramage. "For a long
time I've thought doing research
in the field would be something I
would really enjoy, and I was able
to try it out before I made a real
commitment."
If accepted to a Guilford-led
program, students are also required
to t^e an orientation class.
"The Guilford-led orientation
is very extensive and will cover
things such as cultural mores and
practices," said Hood.
The orientation process includes
planning your trip and tips from
booking your flight to maidng the
most of your time abroad.
"If you're nervous about travel,
there is a faculty leader or on-site
person to help you," said Miriam
Collins, assistant director for study
abroad. 'There is always support."
A student participating in
either the affiliated or Guilford-
led programs is still recognized
as a Guilford student. The grades
received will be recorded on a
Guilford transcript, just as if the
student was taking the classes on
campus.
Guilford-affiliated programs
are usually equal in cost to a full-
residential semester at Guilford,
and if a student has a scholarship
it will continue to apply to their
overall semester costs.
The Institute of International
Education reported that "the
number of Americans studying
abroad increased by 8.5 percent to
262,416 in the 2007-2008 academic
years.
This latest increase builds on
decades of steady growth, with
four times as many U.S. students
participating in study abroad in
2007-2008 than in 1987-1988."
Annie Irving '08 is a Guilford
alum who studied abroad in
Scotland. She was present at the
study abroad fair as an international
officer and study abroad/exchange
co-coordinator at the University of
Dundee in Scotland.
"Do it," said Irving. "These
programs will open horizons and
doors for you."
Senior and biology major Ellee
Stapelton. studied abroad in Costa
Rica last spring semester. "It was
awesome to be immeresed in what
you study on a whole different
level, 24 hours a day., said Stapelton.
"Getting to know the people
on an individual basis, for me,
demonstrates a level of humanity
that transcends culture."
Associate Professor of Political Science Kyle Dell talks to junior Damian
Morden-Snipper about New Zealand's EcoQuest program.The Sept 8
study abroad feir, hosted in Founders Hall, offered curious students a preview
of programs combining academics with travel.