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UH DEPARTMENTS HELP OUT STUDENTS WITH EARLY TEXTBOOK ADOPTIONS
 Getting
textbook orders into the bookstore early is the best way for UH
departments to help minimize textbook costs for students. Many
UH departments have made decisions for the upcoming semesters in
order to meet the federal deadline and give the bookstore enough
time to shop around for the best prices and all available
options.
A textbook provision was added to the Higher Education
Opportunity Act (HEOA) in July 2010 that included stipulations
on textbook orders in order to help students know the textbook
costs for a course and allow them time to find alternative
purchasing options. Texas also recently passed the House Bill 33
that provides similar stipulations on textbook adoptions which
will go into effect for fall 2012. The UH Bookstore had a
deadline of March 23 to obtain all textbook orders for the 2012
summer and fall semesters. This gives the bookstore time to
search for used, digital and rental options available for the
titles as well as provide time for orders to arrive from the
publishers by the first day of classes.
Deidre Tubbs, Office Assistant for the Department of Comparative
Cultural Studies, coordinates the textbook orders each semester
for their faculty members. She said she sends out an initial
email to her group to let them know the deadline is coming up
and to start thinking about what books they want to use the
following semester. Then follow-up emails are sent with specific
dates to remind them to submit their textbook orders to the
bookstore by the deadline. Tubbs said she and her department
understand the importance of giving the bookstore time to get
the books ordered.
“I think it is important so that the books can be available for
students at the beginning of the semester and they won’t fall
behind. Also, so that we can find out if the book is available
or being published so that other arrangements can be made,” she
said.
The Department of Economics has also been successful in
obtaining textbook orders by the HEOA deadline with 95-100
percent of orders entered into the online bookstore system on
time for the past four years. The order forms are passed out to
the faculty members with all their course numbers listed. The
faculty then fill out the forms and turn them in to their
department administrator who submits the orders online to the
bookstore. Department representatives said the faculty is
conscientious that a delay in ordering could cause an expense to
students. Students can receive up to 50 percent of the original
selling price during buybacks if the textbook will be used the
following semester. Economics faculty also receive feedback from
their students regarding textbook costs and try to help out as
much as they can.
The more time the bookstore has to explore publisher prices and
available options such as digital, rental and used versions of
the textbook, the more likely a student will have the most
affordable options ready and available for purchase by the
beginning of the semester.
To provide course textbook information, please submit textbook
requests online at
www.uh.bncollege.com under the
“Faculty” tab or send an email to
tm510@bncollege.com. Please include the book title,
ISBN, course/section and enrollment information with all
requests.
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