ANNAPOLIS, Md. 鈥� Maryland universities, colleges and community colleges would have to clearly outline free and lower-cost course materials, along with textbook and other fees associated with a course, in the institution鈥檚 catalog, per a bill under the General Assembly, should it pass.
The idea came out of a University of Maryland Student Government Association meeting, according to the group’s director of government affairs, Samay Kindra, who pitched the idea to the House sponsor of the bill, Del. Vaughn Stewart, D-Montgomery.
“We鈥檙e not asking for money or anything, we鈥檙e asking for information,” Kindra, a senior international business and economics major at the University of Maryland, told Capital 海角社区app Service last week.
Kindra said that many students register for classes not knowing how much they will actually be spending on the course. He used himself as an example: “I鈥檓 dropping close to a thousand dollars on materials,” adding that he didn鈥檛 know he would have to do so beforehand.
Colleges and universities under the University System of Maryland would be required to publicize which courses would provide students with free digital course materials, and may provide access to low-cost print options to students as an alternative, according to the bill鈥檚 legislative analysis.
The process may require a one-time programming cost in fiscal year 2021 for the update in course catalog, though the costs have not been estimated, according to the state analysis.
By spreading information to students and faculty, Kindra said, it鈥檒l encourage faculty to adopt free or low-cost course materials going forward.
鈥淭he whole idea behind this is to give students more information so that they can make better financial decisions for themselves,鈥� said Kindra.
The bill faced opposition at its House hearing on Feb. 11, with a representative of the university system calling the bill鈥檚 intention 鈥渄uplicative鈥� of the policies currently in place, but supporting the bill鈥檚 idea and implementation of open educational resources, an idea that encourages instructors to mix-and-match free or low-cost materials.
The Senate version of the bill, 667, has bipartisan support with lead sponsor Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel, and co-sponsor, Justin Ready, R-Carroll, saying that the bill would basically be 鈥渢ruth in advertising.鈥�
A similar measure was passed in Oregon in 2015, in order to make materials more affordable and accessible to students, Kindra said.
Kindra said that the Student Government Association is in the process of trying to push lawmakers in voting in favor of the bill by sending them emails.
Neither the Maryland House nor the Senate committees have yet voted on the legislation.
