October 24, 2016
Q: What are the benefits of timely faculty textbook orders (a.k.a. textbook adoptions)?
A: Marc Parrish, manager of the Seattle University Campus Store, says that timely faculty textbook orders are the single most important factor in helping students save money on course materials.
If the campus store receives an order before the adoption deadline, the following is possible, according to Parrish:
"Most importantly, we keep the university Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliant. In short, it's our duty and legal responsibility as an educational institution to ensure students know the full cost of education, including textbooks.
"We're able to buy back books from the previous term(s) at 50 percent of their retail price, putting cash in students' pockets. If we need copies on the shelf, we'll pay up.
"Through buyback and early ordering from the used book companies, were able to get more used copies on the shelf. We compete with schools nationwide for the same finite supply of used books; with early adoptions, we're able to beat them to the punch.
"With used books, students save 25 percent when purchasing and 65-80 percent when they rent."
Parrish says, "The financial burden of textbooks can be so great that students delay their purchase by a week or two, or even entirely. We're fighting to keep textbook prices down and academic success up, and we're counting on you for a timely adoption. Winter quarter/spring semester adoptions are due Oct. 28. More on that here."
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