Dubai: Returning American University of Sharjah (AUS) students are in a furore over a new rule that forces them to pay a Dh1,250 fee towards textbooks they may only buy at the institution's bookstore.
Students say the new initiative, which comes into effect at the end of the month, is an added blow as the university increased fees by 12 per cent for the 2009-2010 academic earlier this year.
However, the university says the new rule was implemented to discourage infringements on international copyright laws.
"It's a money-stealing scheme," said AUS student Amnah Haddad. "We are forced to pay this money to buy books only from our bookstore, therefore we students cannot buy second- hand books as we used to."
A letter recently sent from the university's Student Accounts Department stated that the rule is an attempt to "abide by international copyright laws which the university must abide by to maintain accreditation".
The letter stated full-time students who are charged the compulsory amount may only buy books or stationery at the bookstore located in the AUS library.
Should students not use up the Dh1,250 by the end of the semester, the unused balance will be forwarded for one academic year only. Any unused balances will be expired and transferred to a scholarship fund.
"What gives them the right to put their hands in my pocket and put it in someone else's pocket? My parents worked hard enough for this money," Haddad said.
Management information systems student Juzar Ishaq said the rule was "very unfair". Ishaq said only a small percentage of students infringed copyright laws by photocopying books. "We use a lot of second-hand books and this limits our freedom. Rather, ask the bookstore to bring in second-hand books."
Ishaq said new books at the university book store could cost as much as Dh700 each but that students were able to buy them second-hand on amazon.com or from fellow students for half the price.
AUS students have formed a Facebook group of about 230 members named "Against AUS new textbook charge rule".
One AUS student commented: "What if I don't want to get books at all? Am I violating copyright laws? What if I want to buy my books online ... [or] exchange books?"
AUS chancellor Dr Peter Heath said the decision to implement the new rule was studied and endorsed last year by the academic deans of the university.
"Faculty and, less frequently, students have complained for a number of years about the breaches in academic integrity and international copyright rules that result from significant copying of course materials by students. If we as a university do not seek to enforce these rules, then who will?"
Heath said that it was unlikely money will be left over from the Dh1,250. "They can use the funds to buy paper, pens and other course materials at the bookstore."
Commenting on the shortage of cheaper second-hand books, he said currently there wasn't a large stock of used books because few students in the past have bought new ones. "As a stock of used books grow, we can work with the book store and the student council to develop a plan for how best to make use of them to the advantage of all."
Have your say
Do you think this is fair on the students? What do you think students should do with their old books? Would you buy your own books or do you prefer sharing with a classmate? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the comments form below.
Your comments
Mostly 70% text books aren't required.Lecture notes or study material given by the professor holds importance.These books should be kept for students reference. No need to buy next book which aren't necessary.
Pooja Sharma
DUBAI,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 16:20
As an architecture student at AUS, we hardly buy any of our books or supplies from the AUS bookstore. Infact most of the material we usually need is not even available in the bookstore and can be only found in stores outside. In short the bookstore deposit is a waste for architecture students as we hardly have any books to buy and most of our material is not available in the bookstore.
From A Reader
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 16:20
Saud Al Sudairy's suggestion seems a reasonable one.
Baqar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 16:20
Students have right to purchase second hand book,or exchange the books.
sooner other public schools in U.A.E will implement the same thing and give example of AUS.
School parents should be prepare for this
vikas
Doha,Qatar
Posted: August 11, 2009, 12:28
I totally agree with the students, this is just unfair, I'm an AUS student and what i realized every year is that they only come up with new rules, and to support their decisions they mention laws, regualtions. look at the benefits of sharing books with others, and making students pay only half the price, this is benefiting their parents, themselves, and the person who sold his book rather than just throwing it away, on the other hand, abiding by this new rule, our parents are just paying more and more money, us students are not benefiting because lets face it, we rarely use the books during the semester, some professors teach slides, give notes, and they only ask to refer to some pages in the book which in this case purchasing the book would be very unuseful. so basically, if the university wants to end violating copyrights laws, they could easily find other solutions rather than just the cliche solution that is always taken, which is raising the tuition!
Dana Hussain
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 12:10
This is absolutely unfair. I've studied at an accredited University in the United States and they sold used books right alongside new books in the bookstore. In addition, they did NOT require a special fee directed towards the bookstore only. We were free to buy or borrow our books from wherever we chose.
Bedriya
Jeddah,KSA
Posted: August 11, 2009, 11:52
First of all, anything the Chancellor said explain why the "money expires" not even within ONE year literally, but two semesters, excluding summer semester, that is.
Second, What sort of copyright laws does pens and papers have? Please enlighten me, I'd love to know. Why Should I buy expensive stationery from AUS bookstore, when I can get it cheaper from the supermarket at university or the one near my house?
Third, do all students photocopy books? No. What about if the professors do? What sort of penalty is taken action against them? Are they forced to pay some sort of amount that eventually "expires"?
Fourth, if the money we have in out account is not used completely, why can't we just take it out when we graduate? Like we do with everything "extra balances" in our account. Yes, let me remember, oh they want to FORCE US to buy books.
Fifth, Why are full-time students are the only ones forced to do this and not part time students?
Scholarship fund? It collects around between 35-40K a SEMESTER from each student for tuition, they want to take more for scholarships?
Personally, I buy new books only when they're not available second-hand, and for my major we don't always need books, so how will I spend the 1,250dhs in the book store only in two semester? I would've used it for food, petrol, and clothes - things I really need, and not more pens and papers, thank you VERY MUCH.
I have a whole lot to say. I won't stop.
Amna Al Haddad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 10:54
Paying high fees is worse enough already. Maybe books could become a part of it and just provide them to the students. return after an academic year if lost, you pay for it.
Ann S.
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 10:18
This is really unfair. Dh1,250 is a lot of money! It's bad enough the tuition gets hiked up a couple of thousand Dirhams every year. I really hope other universities don't adopt this "rule" as well.
M
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 09:50
Of course it is unfair. It is a weak excuse to state that we can use the money to buy stationery. What if I want to buy it from another store? What if I want to buy my books somewhere else?
The issue is not that we have to buy the books, the issue is that we have to buy the books from the UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE, which is at least 20-40% more expensive than other bookstores in the city.
Moiz Mansour
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 09:48
The American University of Beirut had a similar problem, as copied books were very common, but the professors decided to combat this by requiring the students to bring their books to class on certain days. Those with copied books or no books at all were marked as absent. This worked well considering the strict attendance policy, also allowing students to choose where to buy their books, new or used.
Saud Al Sudairy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 09:36
Not only university but private schools are doing the same. Once I have noticed that a Text book cost MRP Rs 15 (AED 1.2) and School has charged me Dhs. 12. Schools blackout the price with Marker but sometimes it is visible. Government should stop such practices completely.
Mohammad Khan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 09:33
Speaking as an AUS student, I'll speak from both sides. From one perspective, the AUS community can see how time's at the moment are rough; and thus, we saw the increase in fees coming. As hesitant as we were, we decided to accept it, we went through many things: petitions, debates with AUS faculty and such, but it was a lost cause.
When I got this e-mail, I just couldn't stand for it. Why am I, or further, my parents paying for someone else's scholarship? Why is my money labelled with an expiry date?
This is uncalled for, I wouldn't go as far as to saying AUS is robbing us point blank. But they are coming REALLY close to that statement.
Yousuf Abu-Ghaidah
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 09:20
I do not think they as a university are liable to (EN)FORCE the copyright infringement rule, but they can publicize the same, to support this rule is solely upto the individual.
Karenina Naushad K.
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 09:00
Now universities also have their games rolling. I don't think any university in the world has this rule. We if it so important they should give the books at very high discount. Which i am sorry to say they charge more than the book store in a Mall. Shame on AUS.
Mohammad Abbas
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 08:49
The problem is that AUS has its own elected student council members who should act to maintain the students interests in this situation, but it seems they are not doing anything!
Since my days at AUS, it seemed to me that the university management has a culture of raising the tuition fees without thinking their decision through as they think the AUS students community are all rich and do not care about paying extra 'pennies' here and there.
Yazeed
Hebron,Palestine
Posted: August 11, 2009, 08:47
Outrageous, what can they think of next. Someone please tell these people they cannot fool people. Already tuition fees are so high starting from schools to universities.Education sector should be highly regulated whether government owned or private.
Junaid Al Hassan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 08:40
I am an AUS Alumni, it is very unfair forcing students to buy books from university bookstore only, the claim of protecting copyright is invalid, because there are legal channels to prevent violating it..I noticed AUS is creating new ways to charge more money in anything, like for example enforcing and increasing lab fees, parking fees, and tuition fees; neglecting the students' dissatisfaction of such decisions.
Mohammad Al Amin
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 08:34
Why no get new/ extra copies at your libraries so students can read them at libraries and borrow books for longer time. This way students wont have to spend on book and yet it won't "violate the law".
Avnish Gupta
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 08:18
I am a student at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) and I find this absolutely unfair to forcefully buy books from the university bookstore.
Previously I had been trading and buying second hand books from my friends. There is also a second hand book system in place currently in the School of Business at AUS and it has been really effective.
This new measure is nothing but another burden for parents and the students.
Othman
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 08:16
why should a student pay for something he/she may not be using the whole academic year? and that too, if not used it would be given to someone else!! this is absolutely wrong what they're doing. Technology like ebooks and internet articles are replacing all such notions but we are being forced to go backwards.
Hassan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 08:07
I understand not wanting to infringe copyright laws, but there are other options, such as suspension for particular students who do. Also, some students can not afford text books full stop so they survive their semesters by using the library books and studying with friends, they should not be declined an education because they can not afford the extras. But, the thing that makes this quite wrong is that they are only allowed to buy their stationery from the uni bookstore. So, if they forget a pen and bring one from home will they be removed from class? Or if they have a 40fil note book from the shop other the 1AED uni notebook are they also breaking rules? There are more reasonable ways to handle issues than this. There are no uni entrance rules that even say one HAS to have the textbook, it is just to their disadvantage if they do not.
Kellie
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 06:59
As a student studying at AUS, I find this new rule unfair. It is our right to whether we want to buy new books or not.
From A Reader
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 06:10
As a student at AUS, we hardly infringe copyright laws by buying second-hand books at book swap or by getting them from another university mate. This surely is an added blow to the pockets of salary employed parents. With regular petitions against the university fee policies, AUS should be considerate enough.
Mariam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: August 11, 2009, 04:02
