Editorial: PCC isn’t doing enough to alleviate textbook costs

Share: After sifting through tons of useless information and ads for the school, staff writer Laura Dux finally found her way to the textbook credit page, still with a functioning PIN. Taking it to the bookstore website in hopes of using it, she is greeted with an error: there’s no place to use it. Welcome to our shared frustration with PCC’s lack of communication. The Bookstore credit became something of a staple for new PCC recruits in the post-COVID era. It offered a sense of …

New bookstore management guarantees nearly $1M in first year

Share: In exchange for a $750,000 annual fee, the Pasadena City College Bookstore will now be run by a private company for the next five years. “The purpose of a bookstore is to provide services where students can pay significantly lower rates, can lease textbooks, can purchase cheaper textbooks, or may not even have to purchase textbooks due to open educational resources that exist today,” said Rajen Vurdien, Superintendent-President of PCC. During their session on Feb. 22, the Board of Trustees approved outsourcing the management …

New zero-cost textbook classes minimize educational barriers

Share: Recently, Pasadena City College took action to create an easier way for students to take classes without the need of purchasing expensive textbooks. Beginning during the Winter 2018 intersession, students are able to search the course catalog for classes that only use zero-cost textbooks. This applies to not only traditional classes, but also online classes. These classes will utilize only open educational resources (OER) available for free online. The initiative is part of the College Textbook Affordability Act that was passed back in 2015 …

Textbooks? Parking? Apartments? Why not all three?

Share: In an effort to look for a much needed College 1 book that was sold out at the school bookstore, a student may stumble upon a Facebook group in which peers are listing books and materials at more affordable prices. With over 13,000 group members, this Facebook group has become the go-to outlet for students when it comes to buying new or used textbooks, renting rooms near campus, and even hit-and-runs in the packed parking lots. This group, a saving grace for many students, …