The following is a redacted version of an email dated 18 August 2010 sent by a UW-Madison faculty member who happens to have a daughter starting school this fall as a UW-Madison freshman. In addition to being sent to both the course instructor in one of our largish science departments and its chair, it was copied to Vice Provost Aaron Brower and a number of other recipients.
The letter is long, but the message is simple: textbook prices have been rising out of control only because we let them, and it is time to stop letting them.