It took some time and the threat of a $10 fine, but UF faculty are getting the hang of Florida's textbook affordability law.
The law, which went into effect July 1, states that textbook requirements for courses at state universities and community colleges should be posted on the school's Web site at least 30 days before the start of classes.
Just over 90 percent of all classes at UF had their textbooks posted on the UF Web site by UF's deadline for spring semester, according to UF's textbook adoption Web site.
About 73 percent of professors complied before the start of fall semester-the first semester the law was applied - according to information from the UF Provost's office.
UF requires that faculty post textbook information roughly two months before classes start, instead of the minimum of 30 days. This requirement gives students more time to shop, and it gives book stores a better idea of which books they will buy back from students at the semester's end, said UF Provost Joseph Glover.
To increase faculty compliance with the new law, UF decided to start slapping colleges with less than 90 percent compliance with a $10 fine this semester for each book not posted by the deadline, which was Nov. 17.
The money from the fines, which hasn't been levied yet, will be given to student assistance programs in the Provost's office, such as the Office for Academic Support and Institutional Services or the Honors Program, Glover said.
