Frequently asked questions about HEOA’s Textbook Information Provision
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Textbook Ordering Information
Textbook ordering processes with our new Follett partners are coming soon!
Until that’s ready, please follow our current process outlined here:
- The bookstore needs to hear from you whether you are using course materials or not. Please fill out the CMR linked below. If you are not using any course materials, you only need to fill out the top part and write “zero” textbooks. If you are using Open Source materials, please also list the source of those materials. (This helps ease students minds when they are trying to make purchases. They prefer to know what materials will be used, rather than thinking the store just didn’t list it. It just feels vague and uncertain to them and we want to do everything we can to eliminate that feeling).
- The listing of materials at registration is Federal law. The Higher Education Opportunity Act requires that we disclose all materials to our students at the time of registration. The law is tied directly to our ability to offer Federal Financial Aid, so let’s all do what we can to keep those dollars safe and sound.
- Remember, materials include anything that the student must purchase for your class beyond normal tuition and fees.
- Custom Course Packets must also be listed on your CMR. Please send me ([email protected]) a PDF copy of your custom course pack with the CMR or in a separate email.
If you need any assistance or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am responsive to emails, phone calls, and Teams messages.
Instructors can pre-print their classroom handouts / notes / labs / lectures.
- Instructors will deliver the Word or Adobe file to The College Store. We will forward those onto our printing company to get copyright cleared, shrink-wrapped, and hole punched!
- If work is copyrighted, the College Store, will purchase printing rights from the copyright company. Instructors must research and clearly indicate that their materials for in-house printing meet copyright laws.
- Pre-printed packets range from $5.00 – $80.00 depending on the number of pages and copyright costs.
- Pre-printed packets are useful to instructors and students and reduce printing costs to your department
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- Pre-printed materials reduces the need for class handouts and instructor prep time.
- They also allows students the materials in advance in case they miss class of absences.
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Complimentary (Desk Copy) Textbooks
Complimentary (Desk Copy) Textbooks
- WWCC Faculty routinely receive complimentary copies of textbooks from various publishers for review and potential use in the classroom. Currently, these materials are not being stamped “Property of Walla Walla Community College” as some publishers will not take stamped returns.
- Complimentary textbooks are the property of Walla Walla Community College.
- September 12, 2003, the Washington State Ethics Board* adopted Advisory Opinion 03-04, regarding the selling of complimentary textbooks by higher education faculty. This opinion noted that higher education faculty may accept textbooks and other publications from publishers and use these items to conduct official business. The opinion, however, prohibits selling such textbooks and other publications for personal gain. While the opinion prohibits selling these textbooks for personal gain, several options for disposing of them.
- Question regarding this procedure may be directed to the Bookstore Manager.
*The Executive Ethics Board enforces the Ethics in Public Service Act, RCW 42.52. The Board has jurisdiction over statewide elected officials and state employees in the executive branch; including boards and commissions and institutions of higher education.
Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA)
Textbook Information Provision
In August 2008, the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) was signed into federal law. There are a number of HEOA provisions that impact WWCC. Complying with the HEOA requirements is a condition for WWCC receiving student financial aid from the Federal government.
The Textbook Information section in the HEOA defines requirements for campuses to implement new practices that provide students access to information about textbook and course materials associated with the individual WWCC classes scheduled for each semester/quarter.
On top of HEOA, Washington State signed into law HB1375 further defining campus and instructor requirements.
What’s the Intention of the HEOA requirements?
The intention of textbook information requirements is:
- To ensure that students have access to affordable course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials.” (See PURPOSE AND INTENT of Section 133 for more details).
- To encourage all involved parties…to work together to identify ways to decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials for students while supporting the academic freedom of faculty members to select high quality course materials for students.”
- To provide in a timely manner (at the time of quarter registration) to have all textbook and supply information readily available to students.
Will these requirements interfere with academic freedom?
The law contains a RULE OF CONSTRUCTION: “Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede the institutional autonomy or academic freedom of the instructors involved in the selection of college textbooks, supplemental materials, and other classroom materials.”
What are the essential requirements that campuses must satisfy?
“To the maximum extent practicable, each institution of higher education receiving Federal financial assistance shall—”Disclose, on the institution’s internet course schedule and in a manner of the institution’s choosing, the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and retail price information of required and recommended college textbooks and supplemental materials for each course listed in the institution’s course schedule used for preregistration and registration purposes”
The Warrior’s Locker – College store is the reporting agent for WWCC
Are there additional recommendations that campuses need to satisfy?
“An institution… is encouraged to disseminate to students information regarding
- Availability of institutional programs for renting textbooks or purchasing used textbooks
- Availability of institutional guaranteed textbook buy-back programs
- Availability of alternative content delivery programs; or
- Other available institutional cost-savings strategies”
You can provide students direct communications and through student organizations links to your campus bookstore programs and to the WWCC’s campus textbook funding programs.
What happens if a campus does not comply with these requirements and recommendations?
Complying with the HEOA requirements is a condition for WWCC receiving student financial aid from the Federal government. Non-compliance could put at risk all of WWCC’s student financial aid assistance.
What price do we post online?
The same textbook can be offered at many prices – used, new, rental, digital, the campus bookstore current retail price(s) should be made available., etc. SUGGESTION: Whatever price(s) is posted, inform the students what “type” of price it is.
What do we do when we don’t know what materials are assigned for the course?
“If the institution determines that the disclosure of the information described in this subsection is not practicable for a college textbook or supplemental material, then the institution shall so indicate by placing the designation “To Be Determined” in lieu of the information required under this subsection;”
There are many challenges to providing the textbook information in a timely and accurate manner. Classes are cancelled or added, faculty assignments to classes change sometimes at the last minute. Continuously improving the percentage of courses with textbook information over time is what we can reasonably do.
Who is responsible for implementing-maintaining HEOA requirements on my campus?
Collaboration across a wide range of units on your campus will be key to your campus’ successful compliance to HEOA requirements and fulfilling the intent on the law. WWCC campus has established that the College Store will maintain the textbook & supply portion of HEOA. The College Store will request and maintain textbook orders quarterly from active instructors and deans.
What can we do to increase the timeliness of faculty submitting textbook and supplemental information?
Communicate to Faculty the Importance of providing textbook and course materials in a timely manner –
- Emphasize that submitting textbook information by the campus due date enables the campus to provide the information to our students required by HEOA.
- Messaging that faculty are helping to provide students more affordable options by providing course material requests to the campus bookstore by the campus due date.
- Submitting course material adoptions in a timely manner benefits students with disabilities and allows sufficient time to locate alternative formatted materials.
- Faculty submitting their course material adoptions in on time provide better purchasing power to the college store text book buyer.
- Students are more likely to come to class the first day with their course materials.
Communicating why and how to provide the textbook and course materials information is important to meeting the requirements of HEOA. To help you explain why it is so important to provide textbook information and to provide the to tools to make it easy, here are some suggestions for useful themes
- Textbooks and Financial Aid: What’s the Connection? – Faculty may not know that their campus’ ability to provide Federal financial aid to their students is dependent upon a wide range of requirements, including the availability of textbook information within the course schedule. Raising awareness of this requirement can help faculty understand why they are being asked to submit their book requests so early and can help motivate more timely communication of the required textbook and supplemental material information.
- Choosing Affordable Course Materials: The textbook information requirements in the HEOA are driven by the goal of making higher education more affordable for students.
- Affordability and Student Success: Students are not buying all the course materials they need to succeed because they can’t afford them. Another motivating message can be, “Help provide students more affordable options by getting course materials requests to the bookstore on time.”