Memorandum

Textbook Adoption and Costs Fall 2016

DATE: Wednesday, April 4, 2016

It is time to choose your textbooks for the spring semester. The continued emphasis on textbook costs across the UNC system has created a greater sense of urgency to submit timely textbook requests. Although the early deadline of April 5^th has passed, there is time to submit your textbook requests. The bookstore accepts requests at any point, but timely requests help them lower student costs in several ways.

Early adoptions allows the bookstore:

• To buyback eligible textbooks thereby returning more money to our students
• A greater opportunity to obtain low cost used books from the open market, internet and wholesalers
• To have enough time for materials to be delivered, stocked and available to students before the first day of classes.
• To resolve any issues between publishers and or wholesalers that might delay course material availability for student purchase

Mandates of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, as well as the UNC Board of Governors, also specify that the bookstore must be notified if instructors or departments adopt materials not supplied by the bookstore or do not use any texts at all. As the main point of contact for students, it is important the bookstore know what materials an instructor is using (or not using) so that it can relay accurate course information.

The continuing rise in the cost of textbooks is a concern to NC State. Reducing the cost of learning materials will take a combined effort of the NC State Bookstore, faculty, departments and the Administration. If you have questions or additional ideas for effective management of textbook costs, please contact me (provost@ncsu.edu),  Anthony Sanders (Anthony_sanders@ncsu.edu) or Christopher Walsh (crwalsh@ncsu.edu).

Thank you for your time and attention.

Attachment:  Best practices in textbook management