ORS § 350.208

Current through 2024 Regular Session legislation effective June 6, 2024

Section 350.208 - Display of estimated cost of required course materials and course fees; method of display; rules

(1)

(a) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, each public institution of higher education shall prominently display, or establish a link on the Internet to a website that displays, the estimated costs of all required course materials and directly related course fees for no less than 75 percent of the total number of for-credit courses offered by the public institution.

(b) The display of information required by this section must:

(A) Be made not later than when course registration begins;

(B) Include the title and, when available, the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) for each book required for the course; and

(C) Appear in the published course schedule that is on the Internet or is otherwise provided to students at the time course registration opens for students, including on the affiliated campus bookstore course materials list that is provided for the course.

(c) The display of information required by this section applies only to courses for the next non-summer academic term or session, regardless of whether a public institution of higher education permits students to simultaneously register for successive terms.

(2) The Higher Education Coordinating Commission, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and any other interested party identified by the commission, shall by rule adopt a list of incidental items that are not required to be reported under subsection (1) of this section.

(3) In determining which for-credit courses a public institution of higher education will not provide information for under this section, the public institution shall prioritize not providing information for courses where:

(a) The instructor either has changed since the last time the course was taught or will be hired after the deadline for publishing course information set forth in subsection (1)(b)(A) of this section; or

(b) The instructor of the course has determined that previously used course materials are no longer effective at delivering the necessary educational outcomes for the course.

(4) In order to ensure compliance with federal law requirements regarding timely and accurate course material information and affordability, including the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-315), each public institution of higher education shall establish dates by which faculty or departments must notify the campus bookstore affiliated with the public institution of required and recommended course materials, so that the bookstore may verify availability, determine prices, source lower cost options when practicable, explore alternatives with faculty when academically appropriate and maximize the availability of format options for the course materials that are made available to students.

(5)

(a) The information that is required to be displayed under this section shall be:

(A) Secured in a manner determined by each public institution of higher education;

(B) Aggregated by the campus bookstore affiliated with the public institution higher education; and

(C) Displayed for public viewing in the published course schedule and in any other method deemed acceptable by each public institution of higher education, in consultation with the faculty, students and campus bookstores affiliated with each public institution.

(b) The faculty and administration of each public institution of higher education are responsible for supplying the information required under this section to the campus bookstore affiliated with the public institution according to a process and deadline established by the public institution for each academic term.

(6) As used in this section:

(a) "Public institution of higher education" or "public institution" means:

(A) A public university listed in ORS 352.002; or

(B) A community college operated under ORS chapter 341.

(b) "Relevant stakeholders" means:

(A) Representatives from public institutions of higher education;

(B) Faculty from public institutions of higher education;

(C) Students enrolled at public institutions of higher education; and

(D) Campus bookstores affiliated with public institutions of higher education.

ORS 350.208

2021 c. 162, § 1

Sections 2 and 3, chapter 162, Oregon Laws 2021, provide:

Sec. 2. (1) No later than December 31, 2023, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission shall submit a report to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly responsible for higher education that details how each public institution of higher education is ensuring compliance with section 1 of this 2021 Act [350.208].

(2) The commission, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall by rule establish metrics to measure compliance with section 1 of this 2021 Act by public institutions of higher education.

(3) Each public institution of higher education shall timely provide the Higher Education Coordinating Commission any information that the commission determines is necessary to submit the report required under this section.

(4) As used in this section, "public institution of higher education" and "relevant stakeholders" have the meanings given those terms in section 1 of this 2021 Act. [2021 c. 162, § 2]

Sec. 3. Section 2 of this 2021 Act is repealed on January 2, 2025. [2021 c. 162, § 3]