Comment Re:Universities Too (Score 1) 567
Something similar did happen around 10 years ago.
The CompSci department of my undergraduate degree course actually did a deal with the local bookstore. In return for giving the store exclusive access to the "recommended textbook" lists for each course (ie. buy these books or you don't get to take the course), the store would give the university access to the purchase lists of each book and/or the purchase lists for each student.
Also, staff were also given rights to view the student history lists of each book in the library.
The motivation behind all of this was to protect the university from lawsuits by students who had flunked their courses. If the university could prove that a student had access to all the relevant course materials then the student would have no chance of winning the case.
Opponents of this decision pointed out that if a student was researching material for their own interests, then their research could be disclosed by a member of staff.
After this, the demand for second-hand books paid for in cash sky-rocketed after this was announced. Would the department ban someone from taking the course if they hadn't purchased a single book from the store?
The CompSci department of my undergraduate degree course actually did a deal with the local bookstore. In return for giving the store exclusive access to the "recommended textbook" lists for each course (ie. buy these books or you don't get to take the course), the store would give the university access to the purchase lists of each book and/or the purchase lists for each student.
Also, staff were also given rights to view the student history lists of each book in the library.
The motivation behind all of this was to protect the university from lawsuits by students who had flunked their courses. If the university could prove that a student had access to all the relevant course materials then the student would have no chance of winning the case.
Opponents of this decision pointed out that if a student was researching material for their own interests, then their research could be disclosed by a member of staff.
After this, the demand for second-hand books paid for in cash sky-rocketed after this was announced. Would the department ban someone from taking the course if they hadn't purchased a single book from the store?
