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I realize that it is really not unethical or illegal for a university professor to assign their own book that they have published as the textbook for a class. However, is it unethical for a professor to assign an expensive book, then require the students to get the book personally autograph to the student, by the professor prior to the professor accepting any work from the student? This creates several issues for me:

  1. Textbooks personally signed can not be sold back to bookstores.
  2. Used books can be sold to other students but when they reach the class, they are penalized for not getting their own book to meet the requirement of "personal autograph" to that student, which forces them to purchase the book again.
  3. Without getting the book signed, the professor will not accept work which results in a "0".
  4. The professor would not allow students to take pictures of notes in other students books but MUST PURCHASE the book, explaining "because you are not paying me".
  5. Essentially, this appears to be a "FOR PROFIT OF THE PROFESSOR" class. It isn't about the education of the student at all.

I feel it is unethical. Do you? What should a student do about this?

pip install frisbee
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user112451
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    Where are you in the world? Not that it affects the ethics, but it does likely affect what a student can/should do... – Bryan Krause Aug 29 '19 at 16:55
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    As absurd as this sounds, this is blatantly, openly and shamelessly unethical that it fits perfectly our time; as much as I wouldn't like to, I do actually believe that. Either this professor or this university should be fired. – Captain Emacs Aug 29 '19 at 17:56
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    I realize that it is really not unethical or illegal for a university professor to assign their own book that they have published as the textbook for a class. — Well, that depends. – JeffE Aug 29 '19 at 18:12
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    This is not unethical or something, its blatantly criminal. The legal term for such behaviour is coercion. Dont bother complaining to university officials, just call up your district attorney, and have that prof dragged out of his office into a courtroom. – Karl Aug 29 '19 at 19:09
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    @Karl: Do you have experience with this approach? The district attorney in my country would probably lough and fine me for calling them for such a silly reason. – user112604 Sep 03 '19 at 20:10
  • @user112604 No experience. In my country, he would act, not least because he could be forced by a court order. Which is why no sane prof would ever try such a harebraided scheme in the first place. Advantages of living in a society with a working judicary system. – Karl Sep 03 '19 at 21:37
  • @Karl: Then please write your country such that the OP has more information on whether they should "just call up" them. I think in most countries no action would follow (or just worse consequences for OP), therefore it's important for them to know your country. – user112604 Sep 03 '19 at 21:44
  • @user112604 No. The OP should know by himself wether he can trust into the law and justice of his home. We are talking among adults here. Academia, not kindergarten. Sorry. – Karl Sep 03 '19 at 21:48

2 Answers2

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Yes, some aspects of this are unethical. I'm surprised that a university would permit it to happen. They would, I hope, object if they learn of it. Especially if they learn of it from complaints to higher authorities.

In my personal view as a professor and author, I can, certainly, assign one of my own books in a course I teach. But I believe that ethically, I should return to the student any royalty payment that I receive from the publisher. To avoid student cheating, I can purchase their receipt for the book from them so that they can't simply return it to be sold again as new.

I think that the professor in question is trying to do something similar in part of this (autographing the book), but in an unethical way.

I would think that autographed copies can be sold back to the bookstore, but not simply returned as new. Some autographed works are worth more, actually. The professor doesn't profit from the sale of used copies, of course. Only the "first sale" results in any royalties.

I don't know how the professor "verifies" the purchase. Does he keep a list, or just ask to see an autographed copy?

But, the issue of profiting from students when you require a purchase in such a way as to guarantee a profit is clearly a breach. As you describe it, it sounds like a clear form of coercion that should not occur and actually can pollute the relationship between student and professor.

And obviously, most professor-authors think their own books are the best.

Buffy
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  • I dont get your scheme with buying the receipt from the students. You will have to give a substancial fraction of the full price (?), but that way they can still sell the book to next years students, and end up with a profit in total. And which bookshop would take back a book after months? – Karl Aug 29 '19 at 19:22
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    An author gets something like 5% of the selling price of a book. I'd buy the receipt for that amount. The student can't return the book to the bookstore without the receipt. But, yes, they can always sell the book on the used market. So I just adjust the price to them so that my net is zero. – Buffy Aug 29 '19 at 19:33
  • very commendable! +1 – Karl Aug 29 '19 at 19:52
  • But you actually buy the receipt from the students so that you dont pay multiple times for books that are circulating on the second hand market, right? – Karl Sep 03 '19 at 21:43
  • @Karl, Actually, I would only buy it for new book purchases since those are the only ones from which I would profit otherwise. Used book sales give nothing back to the author. – Buffy Sep 03 '19 at 21:46
  • At this university, a personally signed copy ... “John Taylor, I hope you enjoy the class”, can not be sold back. The instructor logs a grade in his grade book for each person that he signs a book for. That’s how he knows who didn’t get the book signed. Also he self published and the bookstore gets a fee for each book sold and he gets the bulk. Sometimes you can get people to talk. – user112451 Sep 04 '19 at 00:16
  • This was not so uncommon in my era to avoid students photocopying a professor's book. In some courses a common strategy was the following: a student, or a small group, would buy an expensive book which was then brought to a copy shop which would then mass-copy it for the other students at less than half of the price. The student who had bought the book would then lend it to the other students for the day of the oral exam, so that they could show it to the professor as a proof of purchase. From time to time, police would shut down this kind of fraudulent copy shops, but others would pop up. – Massimo Ortolano Oct 21 '19 at 19:49
  • So, some professors started to sign each copy. – Massimo Ortolano Oct 21 '19 at 19:49
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Yes I think it is unethical. If your university has an ombudsman or similar office, go to them and ask their opinion. You may be able to report this anonymously.

Daniel K
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