MICHAEL STRICKLER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Accounting junior and ASUA Senator Matthew Carr is working with professors and UofA Bookstore representatives to lower textbook prices.

Textbook prices at the UofA Bookstore could be reduced as early as next year if student leaders get the word out to faculty to submit their textbook requests by the deadline.

Adoption lists, which let the UofA Bookstore know in advance which textbooks instructors plan to use, should be turned in months in advance before a new semester begins, said Matthew Carr, an Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senator.

But about half of the instructors on campus are not turning them in on time, Carr said.

"The earlier the adoption list are turned in, the more prices will go down," said Carr, an accounting junior.

Without the adoption lists, the UofA Bookstore, 1209 E. University Blvd., can't predict what books it will need to stock for the next semester or which textbooks to buy back from students, Carr said.

The UofA Bookstore then must purchase more new textbooks and sometimes pay for quick shipments from the publishers, he said, which could result in increased textbook prices for students.

Carr said it is not the instructors' fault, recognizing they are busy with classes, research and writing books.

Carr said instructors probably don't realize turning in the adoption lists on time could help reduce textbook costs for students, Carr said.

"They're not intentionally doing this; I'm sure they have students' best of intentions in mind," he said.

Kristin Kanthak, a political science assistant professor, said many instructors don't know how important submitting the adoption lists on time can be for students.

Kanthak said she would rather submit the adoption list late so she can have more time to find cheaper textbooks and post electronic reserve articles.

"I'm not going to ask them to spend large amounts on textbooks if I'm only going to use a portion of the text," she said.

Kanthak said some instructors might not turn the forms in on time because they need extra time to decide on course materials.

The adoption list deadline for the spring 2005 semester was Oct. 10, three months before the start of the semester, which was about the time Carr said he realized how important it was for the UofA Bookstore to get the adoption lists on time.

Although the deadline for submitting the forms for spring 2005 has passed, Carr is starting early to tackle the problem for the next deadline. The deadline for the fall 2005 semester is March 17.

Carr said he will address the Faculty Senate a few times next semester, as well as pass out information to instructors.

Frank Farias, director of the UofA Bookstore, said getting the adoption lists early is important for the bookstore because it competes nationally for many textbook titles.

"Every time it is like we are competing in a race, and when lists come in late it's like we're coming in last," he said.

Farias recognized some classes are assigned to instructors after the adoption list deadline.

"There are all kinds of factors of why a textbook order is late," Farias said. "This is not about faulting the faculty; it is about informing them."

Jodi Kreider, a history professor, said she has not turned in her adoption list yet for spring 2005.

Kreider said she will be teaching a new class, History 458: "Topics in Women's History," and has spent a lot of time reading through materials to decide which textbooks she will require for students.

With such an early deadline for adoption lists, Kreider said it is hard to start thinking about a new semester while she is teaching the current one.

Besides informing faculty about getting adoption lists in on time, Carr wants to inform students that increasing textbook prices are from the publishers, not the bookstore.

"Students go to the bookstore and feel like they're being cheated," Carr said.

Bethany Suskauer, a communication senior, said high textbook prices are frustrating and faculty should make a better effort to turn in their adoption lists on time.

"It adds up so fast," she said.

Through research, Carr found the rising cost of textbooks is a national problem because textbook publishers are constantly increasing prices. Because of this, the UofA Bookstore is forced to charge more for textbooks, Carr said.

"Students are angry at the bookstore," Carr said. "We really want to let them know what's really causing the rise in prices."

The UofA Bookstore profit margin remains a flat 25 percent, even though textbook prices continue to rise, Carr said.

Carr said the UofA Bookstore uses that money to cover operational and staffing costs, and the rest of the money goes to ASUA and other on-campus programs.

"You're really giving back to campus when you purchase textbooks from UofA Bookstore," Carr said.