How faculty can help lower the cost of textbooks

1. How faculty can help lower the cost of textbooks Important Information for Villanova University All Faculty Members

2. Introduction • Overview / Bookstore Goal • What the University Shop is doing to lower textbook costs • Faculty are the key to lowering textbook costs • Ten ways faculty can help • Being “Green” – disturbing trends

3. Overview / Bookstore Goals • Goal of University Shop • To provide the required textbooks to all students who want to purchase the texts - at a reasonable cost

4. Price of the required book Extent to which the instructor uses the book. Extent to which assignments are based on the book. Degree to which exams are based on the book. * Data taken from NACS Student Watch and CCRA Textbooks Survey The Decision to Buy Textbooks The Top Four Factors*

5. Bookstore share after expenses = 4.5 cents

6. Adoption Deadlines Summer 3/15 Fall 4/1 Spring 10/15 Receive, Enter, Edit & Verify Textbook Info Begin selling books Summer 5/15 Fall 8/10 Spring 1/5 End of Semester Buyback (during exams) Purchase remaining textbooks NEW from publishers Purchase USED books from wholesalers Textbook Adoption Process

7. Working Together! Taking Control of Textbook Costs at Villanova: Partnership is the key!

8. Why Partner? Of all the people affected by textbook prices, STUDENTS have the least control. Bookstores may be perceived as the cause but are, in fact, the best SOLUTION. Faculty members are in the best position to affect prices!

9. Ten Ways Faculty Can Help Suggestion # 1 • Adopt texts and communicate with the bookstore as early as possible, but no later than the official adoption due date. • Five ways this can reduce costs: • Eliminates unnecessary packing, shipping and restocking expenses for books already in the bookstore • U-Shop can pay students 50% of new price for readopted texts and makes more used copies available • U-Shop will be able to purchase more used copies from wholesalers, and avoid “stock-outs” with new text publishers • Honoring the adoption due date lowers costs to current students and the next semester students • Facilitates on-line ordering and fulfillment

10. Textbook Math • New Text = 100% of publisher price example = $100 • Sale at buyback (if adopted next semester) = $50; net cost of use = $50 • Sale at buyback (not adopted) = $12; net cost of use = $88 • Used Text = 75% of publisher price same example = $75 • Sale at buyback (if adopted next semester) = $50; net cost of use = $25 • Sale at buyback (not adopted) = $12; net cost of use = $63 • Old Edition Used Text = market price same example = $60 • Sale at buyback (if adopted next semester) = $50; net cost of use = $10 • Sale at buyback (not adopted) = $0; net cost of use = $60

11. Ten Ways Faculty Can Help Suggestion # 2 • Provide an adoption form for every course, even if the adoption is “no text required” • Students rely on the U-Shop for information about all adoptions even if they plan to buy the book elsewhere. • There can be unintended consequences of not providing an adoption: • The U-Shop orders no books, but scholarship students whose books are paid for by the University expect that the required texts should be in stock. • Other sources may advertise low prices but may have only one or two copies. • Some students find on-line ordering inconvenient. • Don’t order books that are not going to be used • Do textbook research early so adoptions are not changed after the start of classes - late changes often cost students money

12. Ten Ways Faculty Can Help Suggestion # 3 • Adopt previous editions of textbooks if acceptable, rather than new editions • U-Shop stocks only editions officially adopted by the faculty • Students often choose lower cost previous editions from on-line sources • Adopting previous editions empowers the U-Shop to compete by building a local market for previous editions • Pay more for previous editions at buybacks • Sell previous editions for lower cost than used copies of current edition

13. Ten Ways Faculty Can HelpSuggestion # 4 • Adopt texts for multiple semesters • Reduces unnecessary packing, shipping and restocking fees • Helps insure that there are more used copies of texts • Makes possible a textbook rental program that spreads the cost of a text over five or six semesters • Makes possible a used market for Villanova designed and produced course packs and instructional materials • Public domain classic works

14. Ten Ways Faculty Can HelpSuggestion # 5 • Consider adopting a “standard” textbook for all sections of the same course • U-Shop is routinely asked to stock multiple versions of the same classic works • Students often buy the least expensive version regardless of what is adopted for their section • Resulting stock-outs cause stress for students who find their version sold out • A standard text enables the U-Shop to negotiate with the publishers for volume discounts • A standard text allows the U-Shop to buy back more used copies resulting in fewer “stock-outs” and lower prices • This same standard adoption can apply to “clickers” as well (and this standard can be campus-wide)

15. Villanova classes with single textbooks adopted in Fall 2008 • NUR 1101 • 7 sections, 3 titles used in ALL sections • MAT 1500 • 26 sections, 1 textbook used in ALL sections • CHM 1151 • 19 sections, 1 textbook used in ALL sections • EGR 1700 • 10 sections, 1 textbook used in ALL sections • COM 1100 • 6 sections, 1 textbook used in ALL section • VSB 1000 • 17 sections, 1 textbook used in ALL section

16. Villanova classes with multiple textbooks adopted in Fall 2008 • ECO 1001 • 20 sections, 5 different textbooks • PHI 1050 • 32 sections, 47 different textbooks • PSY 1000 • 14 sections, 9 different textbooks • ACS 1000/1001 • 100 sections, 180 different textbooks • A single Augustine’s “Confessions,” Bible and style guide • 5 different versions of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” • 4 different versions of Shakespeare’s “Othello” • 4 different versions of Homer’s “Iliad”

17. Ten Ways Faculty Can HelpSuggestion # 6 • Consider following a campus-wide program for classroom response pads (“clickers”) • Comparison of two brands being used: - eInstruction RF CPS unit: $24 purchase plus $15 per semester registration fees - Turning Technologies RF ResponseCard unit: $40 purchase price and no registration fees • Campus preference is for the Turning Technologies brand, due to lower total student cost savings with each successive semester

18. Ten Ways Faculty Can HelpSuggestion # 7 • Don’t adopt “textbook bundles” unless the publisher is also willing to sell the pieces separately • Bundles are often the publishers’ attempt to circumvent the used textbook market • Students often choose to buy no text rather than a bundle • Breaking a bundle allows students to purchase lower cost used texts and receive higher prices at buyback • Separate parts of a bundle may have little or no value at buyback • The U-Shop will shrink-wrap its own bundles incorporating used texts

19. Ten Ways Faculty Can HelpSuggestion # 8 • Consider building course packs that incorporate notes and commentary by Villanova faculty • Both public domain and non-public domain • Work with U-Shop to produce well designed low cost course packs and books • A used market for the course packs and books can be developed that will make the cost to the student very low • Possibility of a revitalized Villanova Press and sales to other institutions.

20. Ten Ways Faculty Can HelpSuggestion # 9 • Consider using electronic reserves in WebCT instead of printed custom course packs - this is a better choice if using only a couple of chapters from a book - provided through partnership with Falvey Library, reducing costs to students to $0 - students can still print pages, if they choose, using their printing allotment

21. Ten Ways Faculty Can HelpSuggestion # 10 • Consider e-books instead of printed books - many publishers are offering e-book versions of many of their titles - savings on e-books is usually 30% or more from the new book price for the same title

22. Ten Ways Faculty Can Help • Submit adoptions by due date • Submit adoption form for every course • Adopt previous editions when possible • Adopt titles for multiple semesters • Do standard departmental adoptions • Adopt campus standard clicker

23. Ten Ways Faculty Can Help • Only adopt bundles when items are also available separately from publisher • Create custom course packs with faculty notes, commentary and public domain contents • Use electronic reserves in WebCT instead of printed custom course packs • Consider e-books instead of printed books

24. Being Green – Disturbing Trends • On-line purchase of texts may be cost effective for students, but the shipping of individual texts seems less than “green” U-Shop shipped texts 100,000 texts / 20 per carton = 5,000 cartons X 1.2 lbs = 6,000 lbs. of cardboard (cardboard is recycled) Estimated delivery truck stops = a few very large deliveries with boxes on pallets Storage/sales space devoted to textbooks = 2,500 sq. ft. On-line sites shipped texts 100,000 texts / 1.3 per carton = 76,925 cartons X .35 lbs = 27,000 lbs. of cardboard (cardboard not necessarily recycled) Estimated delivery truck stops = many deliveries including multiple daily deliveries from US Post Office and delivery services. Storage space in mailroom required for texts = 3,200 sq.ft. Existing mailroom = 1,200

25. Thanks for your help in lowering the cost of textbooks for students! Contact Information: Frank Henninger CCR Director of the University Shop Ext. 94162 Vince Perkins Asst. Director/ Book Dept. Mgr. Ext. 95019 Richard Huey Asst. Buyer – Book Dept. Ext. 97946