The University of Akron is launching a new textbook service with its bookstore partner, Barnes & Noble, that will automatically enroll students in a book rental program.
University administrators said the ALL-IN Book Bundle initiative will make it easier for students to receive books by the first day of classes and could save them up to 50% over their undergraduate academic careers.
“[The program is] designed to make sure there is the best chance for our students to have what they need to start the semester in their coursework and without variables of cost and access,” said Brandon Alexander, the director of the Jean Hower Taber Student Union.
Not everyone, though, is excited about book rental programs. Last year, Cleveland State University’s student government association voted down a comparable program proposed by a different bookseller.
Justin Samsa, the incoming president, said his organization conducted a survey that discovered students paid significantly less when they purchased their own books.
“It was a way for the administration to kind of take advantage of students not paying full attention to the background charges that happen on websites,” Samsa told Signal Akron.
The University of Akron’s Undergraduate Student Government did not share these concerns last year when it approved the measure.
The flat rate for book rentals through the program is $19.75 per credit hour. A full-time student can expect to pay approximately $240 for books to cover 12 credit hours. The charge should show up as a line item on tuition bills, and can be paid with financial aid.
Undergraduate students were automatically enrolled in the new program when they chose classes this fall. They must opt out between July 29 — when the program opened — and Sept. 9, about 14 days after the start of the semester.
Students have to opt out of the program on its website (https://www.uakron.edu/bookbundle/).
University and student government work together on book bundle
So far, the ALL-IN Book Bundle program has the support of the University of Akron’s student leaders.
Grace DeWitt, the incoming president of the Undergraduate Student Government, said her organization worked with the administration last year to gauge student interest in the ALL-IN Book Bundle program before voting on it.
“We had senators in our legislative branch conduct a survey with students to ask them how they felt about the current program, if they wanted a new one,” said DeWitt, a senior.
She said that in total, around 100 students were surveyed. “Kind of introducing this new idea to see if they were interested. The survey results were overwhelmingly positive.”
DeWitt said she’s happy with the promotional efforts by the administration to inform students about the program ahead of the start of the semester. She said town halls, emails and social media posts have been the primary tools to inform the student body, especially incoming freshmen.
“USG has been involved in this process from the start; we officially supported it,” DeWitt said.
Alexander said Barnes & Noble approached the University of Akron about the program ahead of the renewal of its five-year contract, which is close to being finalized. He said the ALL-IN Book Bundle program will be baked into the duration of the contract.
It remains to be seen if the program’s inclusion in the new contract changes how much the university makes from book rentals and sales.
Similar program shut down at Cleveland State
At Cleveland State, opposition to the program originated with the student government, faculty senate and the lending library, where professors can either buy or donate a copy of textbooks for students to borrow.
“They were the most concerned about this,” Samsa said. “It would’ve made it almost impossible for the library to keep up with this service.”
Beyond alternative book lending programs at CSU, Samsa said the economic demographics of the university made the program unpalatable to the student body.
“It would’ve added so many headaches to students, especially at Cleveland State, where there are so many students who are going through a multitude of different financial situations because of the lower price of admission,” Samsa said.
Another aspect of the CSU push that raised concern for Samsa and other students: the secrecy around the administration’s efforts. He also said that Cleveland State would’ve received a larger percentage of book sales if the book bundle program was implemented.
“The way the university was trying to do it was very divisive,” he said, “because of how quietly they were trying to get it done.”
Logistics of the book rental program
Students at the University of Akron can either pick their books up in the bookstore or have them shipped directly to their residence. If there are digital materials for the class, the university said items will be automatically uploaded to the student’s Brightspace account. The program does not cover some non-returnable materials, such as lab safety glasses.
Though the actual book rentals through the program are covered by financial aid, students are on the hook for shipping costs. Receiving books at their homes will cost a flat rate of $8.99, and returning them requires a $5 shipping fee.
