--- Forwarded Message from Rachel Saury <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 09:30:11 -0400
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum    <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Rachel Saury <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5694 Cheng-Tsui Pricing
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>

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We have dealth with Cheng & Tsui and have been very disappointed with their 
rates and their willingness to accomodate the digital use of their 
materials.  We have had to pay them a hefty site license price to make 
their materials available in the lab to students.  They also put up road 
blocks to some of their materials being digitized at all, nor do they allow 
students to dub take-home tapes.  I wrote them a letter a year ago 
suggesting that they get their policies in line with what is now standard 
practice among publishers vis-a-vis language labs, but to no avail.  I 
don't know what the solution is, however, except concerted pressure on them 
from many quarters.

Rachel


At 08:30 AM 9/14/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>--- Forwarded Message from "Read Gilgen" <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
> >Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 09:56:45 -0500
> >From: "Read Gilgen" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Cheng-Tsui Pricing
>
>------------------
>Has anyone had dealings with Cheng-Tsui?  We have a new Chinese prof who 
>needs the tapes to accompany his text book ("Integrated Chinese" from 
>Cheng-Tsui).  We think the prices are outrageous.  For just the first 
>semester, the student cost for the four (4!) cassette tapes is 
>$53.  Second semester is only three tapes for $43.  And second year (two 
>semesters) is $83.  In other words, over two years of Chinese a student 
>would be asked to pay nearly $170 just for the tapes.
>
>OK, so we go to the language lab model and buy a set to be copied for 
>students.  They now want to charge a different language lab fee of $440 
>for the same sets.
>
>This seems quite out of step with other publishers.  We don't charge 
>student lab fees, so these costs hit us hard.  I can imagine it would be 
>worse at smaller schools with correspondingly smaller budgets.  And if we 
>were forced to do this with all of the languages we teach (nearly 50 any 
>given semester)... well I think you can see the problem.
>
>Unfortunately this prof didn't speak with us first to explore 
>alternatives, so we'll be forced to go along.  (Also, unfortunately, he's 
>here only a year until the regular prof returns to use his own 
>materials.)  But I just wanted to get reactions from others of you.
>
>Read Gilgen
>University of Wisconsin