Interesting legal question

[Ana]

so... don't the professors issue syllabuses? get the syllabus and buy the books wherever

. Or you could buy them and then return them a few days later. You are allowed to return the books within a reasonable time period, right?

I'm guessing from both comments above that these posters have't been in school in a while. I'm an old fart that decided to go back to school and you wouldn't believe the nonsense schools gets away with. Worse of all, the kids these days don't say a thing to complaint. Like good little sheep most of the students go along with wathever nonsense is thrown at them.

Syllabuses are only a sure thing for Junior and Senior level as long as the mayor is nothing close to liberal arts. Drives me up the wall, specially when the instructor tells you "don't worry about it"

Return the book within a reasonable time period? Maybe, most likely they'll charge a BS fee (not talking about bachelors either)

 

[H2Andy]

I'm guessing from both comments above that these posters have't been in school in a while.

i taught at the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College up to 1997, and syllabuses were mandatory.

my wife taught at the University of North Florida until 2004 and she was required to provide a syllabus

maybe your experience is based on the school you attend(ed)?

however, it pisses me off that education keeps being turned into a sales game, with schools using every opportunity to make a buck off the students

partly why i quit teaching

 

[AmyJ]

I ran into this same thing at University of Cinci... I went in and complained to the manager (politely, but very firmly) and he gave me the list of ISBN s. So , go for it! Good Luck.

 

[Dive-aholic]

The book store at a college I taught for in the 90s started doing the same thing. Students had to hand their schedule to an employee and the employee would get the books off the shelves and bring them to the register. Sounds like what's being done at the school your girl friend goes to. So go have the books brought to the register. Write the ISBNs and say, "Thanks, but I won't be buying these today." Then walk out and get them somewhere else. But remember, when the store has to shut down because of this and you can't get your tanks filled...oh wait, that's another thread...

 

[DeputyDan]

I still think its entirely legal.

 

[ItsBruce]

In California there is something called the Unfair Practices Act embodied in section 17200 of the Business and Professions Code. Any victim of an unfair business practice can sue to enjoin the practice and to compel the business to pay restitution for profits unlawfully obtained. To encourage people to bring actions to stop unfair business practices, the Legislature has mandated that the person's attorney be paid a reasonable fee by a defendant who is found to have violated the act. My guess would be that a California school that is preventing a student from buying books on the open market could be sued. Without more research I could not say whether the suit would be successful, but perhaps the possibility of finding out might be enough to persuade the school to disclose the book list.

 

[Hoosier]

I'm guessing from both comments above that these posters have't been in school in a while. I'm an old fart that decided to go back to school and you wouldn't believe the nonsense schools gets away with. Worse of all, the kids these days don't say a thing to complaint. Like good little sheep most of the students go along with wathever nonsense is thrown at them.

Syllabuses are only a sure thing for Junior and Senior level as long as the mayor is nothing close to liberal arts. Drives me up the wall, specially when the instructor tells you "don't worry about it"

Return the book within a reasonable time period? Maybe, most likely they'll charge a BS fee (not talking about bachelors either)

You're wrong. Floater is in school at this moment....


BTW, I am wondering what schools are doing business in that way. I am currently teaching in the university. I can't believe that way of business. Even, we clearly inform the text book and syllabus on the course website. Nothing is confidential to the student.