Providing Timely Course Material Information for Students as Required by Federal Law

Dear Colleague,

Despite our current pandemic situation, there is a standing matter that needs the attention of instructors at the University of Kansas. The federal Higher Education Opportunity Act requires the university to inform students at the time of enrollment what textbooks and supplemental materials are required and/or recommended for a course.

The following are submission dates for textbook information:

Summer Semester: April 1

Fall Semester: May 1

Spring Semester: November 1

Please know KU Bookstore will always accept adoptions after the deadline, however the staff cannot guarantee that course material for adoptions submitted after the deadline will be available in the first week of classes.

You must provide course material adoptions information to the KU Bookstores, even if you do not intend to order course materials through KU Bookstores, or when the materials are free and openly available, so that the information about required textbooks and supplemental materials will appear in the official online requirement listings on KU Bookstore’s website. The website also has a direct link from Enroll & Pay, as required by this law. It is imperative for the KU Bookstore to have this information, as it facilitates the procurement process for sponsored and scholarship-recipient students, and allows students to charge their required course materials to their student account.

The KU Bookstore offers three ways for you to submit your course materials needs:

1. Use the customized course link included in the automated reminder emails from the KU Bookstores (which are sent from reply@verbasoftware.com),

2. Complete the online requisition form, or

3. Email requests to textbook@ku.edu.

Please also list any additional supplies you will require the student to purchase for each class, including clickers, goggles, lab coats, or supplies and reference packs. If you are not using such materials for your class, you must still submit the form, indicating there are no required readings or supplies for the course.

Before submitting your request, please:

• Check the price: Either through independent research, by inquiring with KU Bookstore staff, or from publisher representatives involved in the process. It is worth noting that publisher representatives often reference the “net” price to faculty, which references the new book cost to the KU Bookstore, which is different from the retail price. Additionally, textbook costs can be lowered through negotiations with publisher representatives. Please keep the KU Bookstore apprised of negotiated prices so that students using financial aid to purchase course materials are not left at a disadvantage.

• Check the edition: If a new edition has become available, ask yourself if content updates are significant enough to necessitate an update to your request.

• Review Open Educational Resources (OER) options: There may be freely accessible and open licensed content available that fits within your instructional framework. The Open Textbook Library is a good place to start, and KU Libraries offers grants to support the adoption of these and other OER.

• Unbundle the textbook: When reviewing your content submission, especially content that is bundled with additional items (traditionally recommended from publisher representation as a means of cost reduction), consider how necessary each component is for the students and your course. Unbundling will allow students the freedom to buy used books from the campus bookstore, to use the online marketplace, to rent the book, and even to sell the book back, passing along cost savings to future students. 

• Consider library-licensed resources: E-books, articles, and streaming video may be accessible via KU Libraries. The Libraries may be able to place print items and DVDs on reserve to provide access to students, COVID permitting.

Instructors wishing to receive no-cost and low-cost designations per Marking Affordable Courses guidelines should provide their adoption information at their earliest convenience to ensure appropriate designation at classes.ku.edu.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the following individuals:

• Textbook Department/Buyers, Course Materials Requisition, KU Bookstore, textbook@ku.edu

• James Rourke, Assistant Director, KU Bookstore, jrourke1@ku.edu

• Rachel Barnes, Print Production Manager, Jayhawk Ink, rbarn04@ku.edu

• Josh Bolick, Head, David Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright, jbolick@ku.edu

Respectfully,

Barbara

Barbara A. Bichelmeyer

Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor