When associate professor Alex Wellington teaches her environmental law and policy course, she doesn’t have to worry about finding a textbook that matches her lesson plan.

That’s because she wrote one herself.

“I’ve used it when I’m teaching the course,” she said. “The lectures and assignments rely on the book.”

Wellington isn’t doing anything unusual assigning her own textbook as required reading for her class — the practice is common in many universities.  

However, some question if having professors assign their own textbooks is ethical. Students might be reluctant to question the material written by their professor, and some wonder if their instructors are cashing in.

For Wellington, she says she makes less than $1 for every hour working on her book.

Nigel Doucette, a second-year criminal justice student, disagrees with the practice, saying it’s unethical for professors to corner students by making their textbooks a mandatory buy.
 
“They’re just making more money for themselves when there might be better resources out there,” he said. “Are they trying to teach us properly, or just looking to skim a little off the top?” But fourth-year photography student Michele Dalgarno, said she sees no problem with profit-seeking professors.

“They should be allowed to publicize their work all they want — as long as it’s relevant to the course,” she said.  

Sociology professor Amina Jamal says that for students wary of questioning the material, professors who can’t handle constructive criticism from their students are missing the point of teaching in a university.  

“Students express ideas that we don’t personally agree with all the time,” she said. “Isn’t (critical thinking) what we want them to do?”

Wellington, also the acting director of Ryerson’s Ethics Network, said that professors assigning their own textbooks can be either good or bad.

She says it’s important to include other scholars’ ideas as it’s a vital step towards writing a balanced textbook.

It’s also good to question the practice as professors may not realize that students may have problems with buying their books, she adds. Wellington asks students for suggestions on how to improve her books for future editions.