Course Materials Cost Savings Policy

Policy Number: OCP 200-15

Reference: RCW 28B.10.590

The purpose of this policy is to comply with RCW 28B.10.590 which requires the Boards of Trustees of the colleges to adopt rules for affiliated bookstores regarding materials for courses.

  1. The Olympic College Bookstore will provide students the option of purchasing materials that are unbundled, when possible.
  2. The Olympic College Bookstore will disclose to faculty and staff the retail costs to students of course materials on a per course basis and make this information publicly available.
  3.  The Olympic College Bookstore will notify faculty when a currently used textbook is published in a new edition.
  4. The Olympic College Bookstore will promote and publicize book buy-back programs.
  5. The Board of Trustees and Olympic College Bookstore will encourage faculty and staff to consider the least costly practices in assigning course materials such as:
    1. adopting the least expensive edition available when educational content is comparable as determined by the faculty, and
    2. working closely with publishers and the Olympic College Bookstore to create bundled materials if they add to the educational experience or if such packaging delivers cost savings to students.
  6. 6. Definitions. As used in this policy
    1. “Materials” means any supplies or texts required or recommended by faculty or staff for a given course.
    2. “Bundled” means a group of objects joined together by packaging or required to be purchased as an indivisible unit.

  • Recommended Barbara Martin
  • Submitted to President’s Cabinet for Review January 22,2008
  • Approved by President Submitted to Board of Trustees April 22, 2008
  • Approved by Board of Trustees May 27, 2008
  • Published in Washington Administrative Code n/a

Course Materials Purchasing Options Procedure

Procedure Number: OCPR 200-15-01


I. The Olympic College Bookstore will provide students the option of purchasing unbundled materials when they are made available from the publisher.
II. When bundled materials are required by faculty the Bookstore will work with faculty and divisions to ensure the impact on availability of used books is considered.
III. The Bookstore will attach notification on the shelf tag for each set of bundled materials, listing the individual prices of each of the items within the bundle, if available.
IV. The bookstore will have available a list of new editions being used on campus and the publisher web sites, if available, where information relevant to the books may be found. If a publisher web site is not available, the bookstore will include a phone number and address for the publisher.

Effective May 27, 2008


Course Materials Buy Back Procedure

Procedure Number: OCPR 200-15-02

The Olympic College Bookstore will buy back books on a quarterly basis and will engage in promotion of end-of-quarter book buy-back events. Book buy-back will be a top priority of the Bookstore. Individual components of bundles will be eligible for book buy back, providing they are not missing pages or are otherwise
disqualified.

Effective May 27, 2008


Course Materials Faculty and Division Coordination Procedure

Procedure Number: OCPR 200-15-03

The Olympic College Bookstore will notify faculty and divisions of the retail costs to students of course materials that are required for courses. Faculty and divisions will use this information to help keep the costs to students as low as possible.

  1. The Olympic College Bookstore will provide a list of required or recommended materials and their associated retail price to faculty and divisions by the start of each quarter, or as soon as this information is available, whichever is earlier.
  2. The retail cost to the student of required and recommended books will be publicly available and listed on the shelf tag for each course inside the bookstore and on the Bookstore website.
  3. When a new edition of a textbook is ordered by faculty, the Bookstore will send the faculty and divisions an e-mail notifying them of the retail cost change to the students as soon as this information is available.
  4. The Bookstore will provide to faculty and staff the individual prices of each component of the bundled materials, including a comparison of the bundled price to the sum of component prices, if available.
  5. The Bookstore will inform faculty and divisions of the financial impact of bundled materials and the impact on more affordable used textbooks.

Effective May 27, 2008