Faculty Connection
Selecting materials for your students can be one of the most difficult challenges when planning a class. The CU Book Store is here to help you by providing resources and being available to answer your questions. We have tried to present a wide range of information here to help you as you make your decisions. Learn more about textbook pricing and how to make life easier for yourself and your students. Please contact us anytime with questions or comments.
Faculty Handbook | Textbook Adoption | Campus Publishing
Together, We Can Help Our Students Save Money on Textbooks.
With the cost of higher education continuing to rise unabated, students and their parents need to find ways to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. One of the easiest solutions to this problem exists in the area of textbook purchasing and buyback. Faculty members play a crucial role in keeping down the costs that students incur. Help students reduce their out-of-pocket expenses
- Get Textbook Information in On Time
This helps the bookstore better plan our buyback quantities, saves freight cost and allows for other efficiencies, all of which ultimately return more money to our students. In addition, this helps us ensure we have sufficient quantities of books available and gives us time to search for as many used textbooks as possible, saving students 25% over the cost of new books.
- Carefully consider Customized Textbooks
Often, these texts can't be bought back and are rarely recycled. For example, a community college recently required a text that was customized only with a page informing students that the edition had been customized for the school, all other pages were identical to the standard edition. Due to this customization, the bookstore was unable to secure used copies of the text. Customizing can be a cost-saving measure when only a small percentage of the text is required, or when small portions of several texts can be combined into one, but eliminating a few chapters usually does not reduce the price of the book enough to offset the savings students get on the standard used textbook and buyback.
- Consider reusing the same edition if the new edition contains only minimal content changes
If previous editions are still usable, they can be purchased as used texts, which saves students 25%. According to a recent national survey, 40% of faculty report that new editions are "rarely" to "never" justified. In addition, the average time between editions is now only 3.8 years.
- Order Textbook Bundles (with additional materials, such as CD-ROMs, study guides, etc.) only when the additional materials are required
The other optional items can still be made available for separate purchase: Bundles with non-required materials force students to purchase new texts at premium prices, even though bundled materials often go unused. In fact, wholesale textbook prices have risen almost 33% since 1998 (as opposed to 18% for trade books). According to the U.X. Government Accountability Office, some of this increase is attributed to bundling, which now affects almost half of all new textbooks sold.
- Avoid Requiring Textbooks when only one or a few chapters are needed
Consider using the CU Book Stores Campus Publishing Service. We will secure all the copyright permissions necessary, and provide the required materials often at a fraction of the cost of the entire book.
Course Material Information for Faculty
Q: When should I submit my textbook information?
A: We know that you spend a great deal of time selecting the right course materials. Our due dates ensure that your students get the right material in the appropriate quantities at the best possible price.
Q: Why do I need to submit my textbook information so early?
A: On-time textbook information has several advantages for you and your students:
- Eliminate problems ahead of time by verifying the availability of the book(s), and determining if a new edition has been released.
- If a book is out of print or out of stock, we have a longer period of time to secure used copies of the book or you have time to select a replacement title.
- Identifies publishers such as overseas presses that have unique situations that require additional time to receive.
- Provides students with a greater selection of used books which save students 25% off the publisher's new price.
- Often increase the amount of money students receive in buyback at the end of the term if the same books are used again.
- To prepare for the coming semester, The CU Book Store must return any unsold books to the publisher that are not being reused. If we know a book is being reused, we can reduce the costs associated with returning and then reordering books. This means more dollars returned to campus.
- Packaged or bundled books can take up to eight weeks longer than a traditional book to arrive.
- Increase the chance we can offer books for rent in the store.
Q: What if I have to submit informationafter the deadlines?
A: We will always do our best to accommodate late information for textbooks and custom publishing, and we will still do everything we can to have the books in the store ready for students before classes begin.
Q: How do I submit my textbook information?
A:There are a few ways to submit your textbook information, but by far the easiest and most popular is through our online textbook information system. That system is accessed at https://cuboulder.verbacollect.com/session/new. However, it is usually not accessible directly. If you are teaching a course, we obtain that information through ISIS and will send you a personalized email with a link you can use to enter your information. If you are teaching a course, but have not received this email, please contact us and we’ll see that you receive a link. Ultimately, please check with your department’s textbook coordinator to make sure this way is right for your department. Sometimes departments like to centralize this function.
Q: What information do I need to include when I submit textbook information for my courses?
A: When submitting your textbook information, the information listed below would be of tremendous help to ensure that the correct book(s) are ordered for your class.
- Department
- Course Code
- Instructor Name, phone number and email address
- Semester the order is for (if the start date for the class is later than the main semester start date, please note the course start date on the order.)
- Author and Title (if the book is a package, please include information about the components, and if those components are required or recommended.)
- ISBN number
- Indicate whether the book is Required or Optional.
- Estimated Enrollment (enrollment cap) for the course.
Q: What if I require non-text items such as supplies or software?
A: Simply include the information with your order. The easiest method may be to attach a copy of your syllabus so we have the same information your students will receive. We can provide just about any item here at the CU Book Store, on campus, for your students' convenience.
Q: Why should I use the campus bookstore?
A: Because the CU Book Store is owned and operated by CU, our profits are reinvested in facilities and programs that benefit students.
Textbook Informaton Deadlines
Fall - April 1
Spring - October 1
Summer and Maymester - March 15