CUE Examines Room Crowding, Book Prices

Textbook prices and classroom space were discussed at the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE) meeting yesterday.

The CUE invited John Paul Rollert '00, an Undergraduate Council member, to discuss the high textbook prices at the Coop. Rollert had raised the issue in a letter to Jeremy R. Knowles, dean of the Faculty.

According to Rollert, students approached him with this concern. Rollert and Eric M. Nelson '99, a CUE member who is also a Crimson editor, then investigated the price differences.

"Students' complaints fall into three different categories," Nelson said. "The differences in prices between the Coop and other bookstores, on-line bookstores, other Barnes and Noble stores and differences within the building."

According to Nelson, a friend ordered books from on-line book supplier Amazon.com for $120 less than the Coop prices. Rollert also found price disparities of up to seven dollars between the main Coop bookstore and the textbook division.

"There is a lot of disorganization within the Coop," Rollert said. "There is a different computer system within the new bookstore and the textbook part, which is the reason the Coop gives for different prices within the store."

Faculty members voiced ideas for solving the problem.

"The message to students may be go buy your books on-line and hope that they get here," said William H. Bossert, Arnold professor of science.

Bossert also suggested that students contact the student directors of the Coop or the Coop shareholders to try and change prices.

"Harvard has a majority share in the Coop," Bossert said. "This is just not being used in the interest of the students."

Other suggestions included sending class reading lists to other bookstores in Harvard Square or including ISBN numbers on the class syllabus so students could order books.

"It is worth investigating where individual instructors might look to order books," said Sandra Naddaff, director of studies in literature and master of Mather House.

The CUE members also discussed the lack of classroom space available at peak teaching hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Georgene Herschbach, chair of the committee on classroom space and associate dean of the College, addressed the need for more classroom space during the busiest hours of the day.

According to Herschbach, there is an excess of classroom space at 9 a.m. Faculty members, however, are doubtful about enrollment at early classes.

"The support for moving classes to 9 a.m. was underwhelming," Herschbach said.

Suggestions for increasing interest in early morning classes included giving earlier exam slots for early morning classes, holding sections early, and having some Core classes meet early to keep down enrollment.

The committee on Classroom Space is conducting a classroom audit to determine the conditions of Harvard rooms.

"We really want some feedback from the people who teach and learn in these rooms," Herschbach said.

She suggested student surveys on the quality of instructional space.

CUE members discussed the possibility of an electronic survey or only conducting surveys for the classrooms that the audit deems problematic.

"I think this survey would probably work best if you targeted a particular set of classrooms," said Harry R. Lewis '68, dean of the College.

"That way you would have a small enough number so the project would be manageable and a large enough response rate to tell us something," Lewis added.

The CUE committee also appointed a new member. Bossert replaced Michael Hasselmo, Loeb associate professor of social sciences. Hasselmo is leaving for Boston University at the end of the semester.

"It's just for one semester," Bossert said of his term on the CUE committee. "I think it is very interesting. There are more things that we can actually do something about--like textbook prices and classroom spaces on this committee."