The new online bookstore, launched in partnership with UCSC’s Bay Tree Campus Store and Akademos, a leading provider of higher education course content, is in full swing this fall and the savings are already piling up. Students saved $79,861 on textbooks and course materials in the fall term alone, and $150,961 since the initial spring launch.
Guided by the growing preference of students and faculty for digital textbooks and course materials, rental textbooks, and access to open educational resources (OER), UCSC has continued this partnership to meet the changing needs of the body student and faculty. Through negotiated savings, UCSC students enjoy the lowest prices on textbooks and course materials.
In addition to reduced costs, an exciting new need-based scholarship program available to students will provide funds for textbooks and course materials, with a total of $20,000 per year allocated and awarded to all students. “The Bay Tree Campus Store is delighted to partner with Financial Aid, University Library Services and Akademos to award these financial scholarships to deserving undergraduate and graduate students,” said Doug Lang, Campus Store Director. “We are so fortunate to work with these organizations for strong support for our students.
Akademos also supports an online marketplace that enables peer-to-peer selling and reseller pricing on new and used titles. Other benefits for UCSC students include:
- Custom landing pages displaying all required and recommended materials for recorded courses in one place
- A vast offering of new, used and rental options – more than any individual bookstore could offer
- Increased access to digital documents and OER
- Free shipping on qualifying orders over $49, excluding Marketplace purchases
Faculty and staff also see the benefits of the partnership: robust search and review capabilities and real-time price and availability indicators make the materials selection process easier and more efficient. Instructors have the ability to see pricing when they select their materials and can preview courses to see final student pricing and format options before they are presented to students through their portal. A dedicated course materials strategist is available at the Bay Tree campus store to provide assistance as needed.
Over the coming year, the Campus Store will continue to evaluate the new virtual store and implement improvements to provide the lowest cost options to all students. The launch of Inclusive Access will provide faculty members with new tools and features to engage with students and improve learning outcomes. Included access will also give students immediate access to materials and further reduce textbook costs.
Adding equitable access options will also be explored, and the Campus Store will continue to partner and learn with other UC campuses where these programs have had great success. Ongoing collaboration with the University Library will focus on implementing programs that allow all students to have access to savings on textbooks and course materials.