Flat World Knowledge President Eric Frank Addresses NYC Council on How to Make College Textbooks More Affordable

IRVINGTON, NY – December 2, 2010 – Eric Frank, president and co-founder of Flat World Knowledge, the leading publisher of commercial, openly-licensed college textbooks, was invited this week to address the New York City Council’s Committee on Higher Education.

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Frank testified before the committee on the topic, “Oversight - How Can Textbooks Be More Affordable to College Students?” He was joined by other industry representatives and academic leaders for the City University of New York (CUNY).

Core Facts

1. Eric Frank, Flat World president and co-founder, addressed the New York City Council’s Committee on Higher Education on the topic, “Oversight - How Can Textbooks Be More Affordable to College Students?”
2.The U.S. Department of Education estimates that textbooks and supplies make up 72 percent of tuition and fees for a student at a two-year public institution; and 26 percent for a student attending a four-year public college.
3. Flat World’s business model eliminates textbook costs as a barrier to higher education by giving students a choice of price and format. The publisher’s high-quality textbooks are available free online under a Creative Commons license, or in affordable print, PDF, audio and e-reader formats for 80 percent less than the cost of traditional texts
4.Flat World’s online publishing platform gives faculty the freedom to control the textbook’s content to suit their course requirements.
5.Flat World textbooks are currently being used by faculty at five colleges in New York City, including Baruch College, St. John’s University and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice; as well as by dozens of professors throughout New York State.

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Company information

Flat World Knowledge is the largest publisher of free and open college textbooks for students worldwide. Committed to making higher education more affordable and accessible, the company provides students with free online access to complete, peer-reviewed textbooks, with options to purchase affordable print and digital formats, including e-books, audio books, PDF downloads and interactive study aids. Flat World’s open license and online editing platform enable professors to modify the content and create the “perfect book” for their course. To date, more than 1,600 professors at over 900 colleges in 44 countries have used Flat World open textbooks. To learn more, visit www.flatworldknowledge.com; follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/flatworldknowledge; and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/flat_world.

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2nd December 2010