Following the Daily Emerald’s six-month investigation into the University of Oregon’s School of Music and Dance Professor Toby Koenigsberg, the university has told the Emerald that new guidelines will be implemented to prevent such actions again.
The Emerald’s investigation revealed that Koenigsberg could have profited over half a million dollars over the course of four years with his self-published textbook “Contemporary Songwriting.”
The book was published under Koenigsberg’s own publishing company “King and Hill Publishing,” meaning he collected all the profit from textbook sales. It also meant that the textbook did not undergo any peer review process to ensure quality and accuracy of the content.
According to an analysis by the Emerald, Koenigsberg may have pocketed roughly $570,000 in the past four years, given the price of his textbook, $89.99, and varying number of students each term.
Koenigsberg is no longer mandating the textbook for students of his “Popular Songwriting” class. UO is reportedly expected to pass a new policy in regards to mandating self-published books in the coming weeks, according to UO spokesperson Eric Howald.
In an email statement to the Emerald, Howald wrote, “The SOMD faculty are expected to vote on a new policy regarding textbook self-publication in November. That policy is [currently] under final review by SOMD faculty. The new policy will be released once finalized and approved for adoption by SOMD.”
The university did not comment on specifics of the new policy, citing that it was still under “final review” by SOMD faculty.
Howald stated that the new policy is aimed at addressing financial conflicts of interest issues including, “assigning textbooks that financially benefit the person making the assignment.”
The policy will not regulate self-publication, which Howald referred to as an “issue of academic freedom.”
The Emerald has also learned that the Associated Students of the University of Oregon, the school’s student government body, is also taking action inlight of the Emerald’s investigation.
“There are talks of possibly passing a resolution on behalf of the entire [ASUO] Senate. I am still talking to a number of my colleagues to see if that is something that we believe will be effective,” ASUO Senate President Taliek Lopez-DuBoff said.
On Oct. 11, Lopez-DuBoff wrote a letter to newly appointed UO Provost, Christopher P. Long, pleading with him to take action to prevent professors from “price-gouging” their students.
“Today I’m asking you to look into this issue, on behalf of my constituents and myself. I want us to find a way to have professors continue to make important educational materials for their classes while also not taking advantage of students and price-gouging them,” he wrote.
Lopez-DuBoff, also an ASUO Student Representative on the UO Faculty Senate, said he was having discussions with faculty members to collect their “perspectives” on the issue and see what steps could be taken towards making more open educational resources at low or no cost to students.
“We need to make education more accessible, we need to have more open resources and so I am going to plead to the provost,” said Lopez-DuBoff.
According to Lopez-Duboff, Provost Long has requested a meeting with him this week to further discuss the matter.
