University Life Council
Minutes of Meeting
October 16, 2006
LC 31J
Present:
Dan Smith, Bill Reese, Candace Merbler, Julia Filippone, Tim Hoff, JeanFrancois Briere, Kehe Zhu and Joan Savitt (Chair)
Meeting commenced at 3:00 p.m.
Chair’s Report
Minutes from September 18, 2006, meeting were approved. ULC Members, John Murphy
and Michael Christakis send their regrets at being unable to attend today’s meeting.
Chair Savitt welcomed everyone to the meeting and reviewed several topics that have been
ongoing with ULC this semester: health insurance; faculty/student relationships; family
leave; housing issues; and the Athletics position
(a) Mandatory Health Isurance
Chair Savitt reviewed feedback from the Faculty Senate from the previous submission of a
health insurance bill in the spring of 2006 that would need to be countered if ULC’s bill is
to be successful this time. The main objection was related to its cost and its affect on
possible enrollments. Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Wayne Locust, is
concerned since he has information indicating that the students who are the financially
neediest are already under funded by approximately $1000 and as such he is against
mandatory insurance because it could potentially widen their financial need gap.
Members discussed that there are no decent statistics or hard numbers on the number of
students who do have insurance. Candace Merbler asked if numbers could be determined
based on the invoices that students receive offering optional health insurance. Chair Savitt
stated that that could be a possibility in terms of getting information but may not provide
the complete answers to the problem. There was some discussion about how the other three
University Centers were able to get mandatory health insurance approved. Peter Vellis,
Director of the University at Albany Health Center, will be at the ULC’s November 20
meeting to help answer some of these questions and others.
Dan Smith has been doing some research on retention numbers and degree rates and
whether having health insurance, or not having insurance, has had an impact on these rates.
Tim Hoff stated that just having health insurance does not necessarily solve the problem.
T. Hoff feels that the SUNY insurance program may not provide the type of coverage
necessary for preventive and acute care for students and that another issue to think about is
what kind of health insurance the students are getting and if it actually provides insurance
for more than just basic care.
(b) Student Satisfaction
Chair Savitt spoke with Professor Edelgard Wulfert (Psychology Department) who is
doing research and conducting a survey that Chair Savitt thought may have included some
questions regarding the issue of student satisfaction with faculty. Professor Wulfert is not
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 1 of 8
addressing this particular issue and as such the University Life Council will need to
develop some ideas on how to tackle this problem.
(c) Family Leave
The information on the family leave benefits has been passed on to United University
Professions (UUP) and thus far, no action has been taken on a campus level.
(d) International Student needs
Chair Savitt announced the Office of International Student Services is reviewing the issue
of housing for international students and faculty.
(e) Athletics
She also announced that the job opening regarding the staff position in Athletics is
currently at a standstill.
Textbook prices
Dan Smith and Candace Merbler visited Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) and
met with the manager, Steve Stegman. They presented a report regarding the management
of HVCC’s bookstore and some of the ways the store is able to keep their textbook prices
down (please see Addendum A, attached, “Hudson Valley Community College Bookstore
Visit Notes”).
D. Smith and C. Merbler noted that HVCC has a book price matching policy (price match
on any retail outlet that has the book “in stock and currently available”) and the store
reviews the “history” of purchasing for each title before placing its orders.
Jean-Francois Briere noted that it seems that HVCC’s book prices are lower than
Amazon.com or at retail outlets. Candace Merbler stated that academic departments, as a
whole, decide on book purchases at HVCC, so there could be bulk discounts for buying as
a whole department. Chair Savitt pointed out that HVCC, in contrast to UA,is teaching
only lower division level courses, thus making it easier for departments to buy in bulk. Dan
Smith concurred and stated that UAlbany also offers many specialty courses.
Tim Hoff asked what Barnes & Noble provides in terms of service that merits the
University having a contract with them.
Julia Filippone, ULC member and Executive Director for University Auxiliary Services,
provided some additional background and information on the University’s relationship
with the Bookstore and addressed the concerns regarding textbook pricing.
J. Filippone couldn’t specifically answer the questions regarding a self-operated bookstore
versus a store with a contract as the issues are rather complex, but on the subject of the
price matching policies and book orders, she stated that UAlbany’s store does have a price
matching policy with Mary Jane Books and that the University Bookstore is responsible
for ordering books for all courses (ordering for a university is different than ordering for a
community college).
J. Filippone also addressed the questions about book buybacks and said that as long as the
book will be used the following semester, the bookstore will buy it back at 50%. She also
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 2 of 8
stated that the Bookstore is bound by contract to carry books for every class for which a
book order is placed, regardless of whether there are 6 students in a class or 600.
Professors are not required to use the Bookstore for their orders. Some only place their
orders at the Stuyvesant Book House or at Mary Jane Books. But, if a student goes to the
University Bookstore and it’s not there, it can and will be ordered.
J. Filippone also noted that the Bookstore has been peacefully co-existing with Mary Jane
Books for quite some time.
There was some discussion about students being able to get the right edition of a book that
they needed, which might not actually be the latest one. Dan Smith stated that HVCC
Bookstore manager Steve Stegman said the departments at his campus that want an old
edition of a book can order them, and publishers are especially helpful if it’s a large order.
But, apparently, the publishers who reprint an earlier edition of a book may be required to
insert an additional page that changes the edition slightly from what was originally
published.
Chair Savitt asked if there was something in the UAS/Bookstore contract allowing Barnes
and Noble to price books at a certain mark-up. J. Filippone stated that there is a 25% cap
on textbooks and a 32% cap on bundles.
Tim Hoff raised three issues and/or questions:
1. He can understand why the bookstore would price match with Mary Jane books but
that having a price match policy across the board would add legitimacy to the
policy.
2. T. Hoff can also understand that Barnes and Noble is required to carry the books
for all classes but that he, personally, has run into problems with the store not
ordering enough for his classes and that he has to check in daily with the bookstore
to stay on top of this. He has heard this from other faculty as well, and several
committee members also said they have had problems in this regard.
3. Has UAS ever really looked at the bookstore prices to see if there is a consistency
with Mary Jane Books, amazon.com, and other retail outlets?
J. Filippone responded to Tim Hoff’s questions. She stated that UAS does audits to make
sure the Bookstore is fulfilling contractual obligations and that they have checked out
Mary Jane Books but another question to ask is if comparing a large corporation like
amazon.com to a ‘bricks and mortar’ bookstore is truly a fair comparison.
J. Filippone stated that she was glad that questions were being raised as this helps the
University community and that these questions have not been asked of the Barnes & Noble
people. She also noted that the Barnes and Noble contract expires in 2009.
J. Filippone addressed the question of what Barnes and Noble is “giving” back to the
University. The company does rent the Campus Center space and pays a commission to
UAS which is dependent on the amount of total sales (approximately 8 percent). Overall,
about $1.3 million finds its way back to the University (from all contracts, not just Barnes
and Noble). Specifically, Barnes and Noble supports students through “book scholarships”
which are about 20 scholarships offered to students for a variety of reasons.
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 3 of 8
Jean-Francois Briere and Tim Hoff stated that the markup is a premium that all students
pay.
J. Filippone said that professors can help by placing timely book orders for the semester
(i.e. the Bookstore will know that a book is being used again and can buyback from
students at 50% and have more books on the shelf).
J. Filippone explained that book purchasing is very fluid and provided an example. She
met with Professor Jeanette Altarriba, Psychology, regarding some issues that Professor
Altarriba had with her book orders. Professor Altarriba had no problem with her general
textbook order but she did have an issue with an out of print text. The order was placed
with the bookstore and J. Filippone explained that if a publisher says a book is out of print,
Barnes and Noble will then try to find other sources to get the book and collect as many as
possible, which is why the bookstore can run low on certain books.
J. Filippone encouraged everyone to let her know if something goes wrong with an order.
Tim Hoff, while emphasizing that Julia’s openness to receiving problems is helpful,
restated that there is a larger issue related to whether or not Barnes and Noble keeps
inventory low and thus their advantage to students and faculty as the bookstore that has
enough copies of a needed book at any one time is negated.
Several committee members felt that the markup model might not work as well now
because the books are accelerating in cost anyway. Therefore, is a percentage markup
appropriate? Is there another way to view the contract? For example, when the contract
was signed, books priced at $75.00 are now at $125.00 and thus subject to a higher actual
dollar markup even though the percentage remains the same.
J. Filippone said that to attack publisher’s prices, one must join the national groups that are
trying to fight that problem. She referenced joining government and retail groups that are
battling this issue. She restated that the contract is up in 2009 and that other retailers could
be options.
T. Hoff stated that under the markup model approach, Barnes and Noble may have less
need to worry about how much the books cost overall. J. Filippone countered that this isn’t
the attitude that Barnes and Noble has and that although they are corporate, calling them on
these things might be a surprise to them but they are willing to hear the concerns and work
with the University. J. Filippone encouraged members to join the “Bookstore Committee”
at their next meeting on October 26th. She also suggested inviting the Vice President for
College Bookstores from Barnes and Noble to a ULC meeting.
Jean-Francois Briere said that he has had a lot of problems ordering books that are
published overseas. J. Filippone asked for specific examples.
Chair Savitt asked if the Bookstore checks the number of students who are registered for a
class. She also said that she had a problem with a French book that Barnes and Noble owns
the copyright to.
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 4 of 8
Candace Merbler said this delay in the arrival of books is unacceptable and that the
University can’t ask students to be paying for tuition and fees when, one month into the
school year, the students do not have the books they need for their courses.
T. Hoff emphasized that the people at the Bookstore are always very nice and his issue is
whether or not the prices are generally higher than through other outlets. He suggested
doing a price comparison on five textbooks from University Bookstore versus other outlets
(including introductory level and advanced level books).
Julia Filippone asked for members to send her an email with the title of a book and she will
conduct this exercise with Barnes and Noble.
C. Merbler, in her role with the University Library, said that students are always coming in
to the library looking for books that the bookstore doesn’t have yet and the library does not
carry the books. J. Filippone said that someone needs to tell her if the Bookstore does not
have a book.
Tim Hoff said a request might be made for the Bookstore and professor’s orders to find out
what the original book order was and how many the Bookstore actually ordered. J.
Filippone said she would track this for a variety of books.
Kehe Zhu said that it seems there are three problems: an issue with the customer service,
markup, and the overall national problem of high textbook prices.
T. Hoff asked if a book list could go up on a University website once the bookstore got
their textbook orders, so that students could access the bookstore price as early as possible
and comparison shop if necessary. J. Filippone said that she believes that is already being
done but she will check and bring the website information to the next meeting. Members
agreed that if it is being done, it’s not being well-advertised and T. Hoff asked for
clarification on when that textbook information becomes available.
Dan Smith stated that the pre-package textbook orders indicate that the lists are available
and a question was raised as to how many pre-packs were ordered but were incomplete at
the start of classes. J. Filippone stated that the Bookstore put together about 3200 prepacks this past semester.
T. Hoff asked if buying in advance gets a student a discount on their books and J.
Filippone stated that there was no discount for advance purchases. T. Hoff recommended
that the Bookstore look into offering discounts for advance purchased books. J. Filippone
said that used books go into the pre-packs first. The topic of ‘bundled books’ came up and
Dan Smith said that bundles were good but could prevent buyback if one component, such
as a workbook, were consumed.
There was more discussion regarding Bookstore profits and several committee members
asked where the money that comes from Barnes and Noble actually goes and if the
University was part of the problem. J. Filippone stated that she would bring in the financial
statements and answers to other questions to the next ULC meeting.
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 5 of 8
Members asked what students are actually spending on books at the University at Albany.
Chair Savitt quoted the cost of attendance figures provided to her by Wayne Locust that
budget books at Albany as $1000 per year.
Questions regarding profits and how much was yielded last year and where the money
actually goes were again asked. J. Filippone explained that the University has “mission
money”, which is essentially commission money, and UAS asks for this from Barnes and
Noble, Coca-Cola and Chartwells. In turn, the University then asks UAS for money.
Members asked if this was simply a way of taxing students through higher prices.
J. Filippone explained that if students paid the exact price for items, then the University
would not be able to pay for everything else (overhead etc.).
J. Filippone provided an example from a Town Hall meeting in which UAS Board
members meet with students for feedback on UAS issues. A student on State Quad asked
about the Bookstore prices and Julia explained the process to the student. The student
agreed that if the money went back to the University community than that was a good
thing. She said that she can and will provide more transparency regarding the financials.
Chair Savitt asked if members would benefit from having a meeting before the next
scheduled ULC meeting on November 20. It was suggested by membership in attendance
that ULC should meet on November 6th and Chair Savitt said she would email all
members, including those not present, to confirm the extra meeting date.
Veteran’s Day Recognition
November 11 is Veteran’s Day and given the calendar issues that ULC addressed
regarding the observance of religious holidays, Chair Savitt said that in response to
previous requests that the University should recognize veterans that something appropriate
should be done on Veteran’s Day. Members agreed that, consistent with ULC’s earlier
position on not rescheduling classes for religious holidays, that it would be best to find a
way to recognize the day without rescheduling classes (the holiday is nationally observed
on Monday, November 13).
Chair Savitt suggested doing something symbolic at the home football game on November
11. Other members agreed and also recommended organizing a list of events that are
already happening and posting them on the University website somewhere. Other
suggestions were to have the veterans stand at the game, hold a moment of silence and
point people to the list of names that is currently on display at the Library. It was
recommended that suggestions to recognize the day at the game be sent to Vice President
of Student Success James Anderson and Vice President for Athletic Administration, Lee
McElroy.
Tim Hoff asked if the University could find out the names of students who are actively
serving and suggested reading their names at the game, or putting their names in a
program. D. Smith said that the Dean’s Office will know if a student has withdrawn for
military leave and the Registrar would know students who are receiving/using military
benefits.
Chair Savitt asked for a vote by ULC members to endorse that something be done to
recognize veterans. Candace Merbler motioned, Tim Hoff seconded and the vote was
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 6 of 8
unanimously passed. Chair Savitt volunteered to write the proposal. It was suggested that
for future Veteran’s Day, the University could consider other options such as setting aside
space for veterans and others to gather and/or panel discussions (similar to the one held for
Constitution Day).
Next regularly scheduled meeting is November 20, 2006 at 3:00. An additional meeting
will be held on November 6.
Meeting was adjourned at 4:40 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Nancy Lauricella, Recording Secretary
University Life Council Meeting, October 16, 2006
Addendum A
Hudson Valley Community College Bookstore Visit Notes – Textbook Pricing
Following are notes from the site visit made by Dan Smith and Candace Merbler to
the Hudson Valley Community College Bookstore meeting with store manager Steve
Stegman on Thursday, October 5, 2006.
Structure:
The HVCC bookstore is part of the Faculty Student Association – similar to the
structure we have here at UAlbany as part of UAS. The bookstore services approximately
10, 000 students and has a full time staff of 6 FTE. Temporary employees are added
during the summer months to handle incoming orders and remain on staff through the early
part of the semester.
Textbook Ordering Deadlines:
Spring semester order are due from departments by October 1st; Fall semester
orders are due on April 1st. In general, the departments make decisions on which textbooks
are to be ordered, not necessarily individual faculty members. Departments establish
committees to make textbook decisions. With respect to orders from foreign countries,
HVCC bookstore manager Steve Stegman stated that he had only dealt with that issue only
once, and it “did” require additional lead-time to insure timely receipt of books. All book
orders go directly to publishers for fulfillment.
The HVCC bookstore looks at the “history” of purchasing for each title before
placing its orders. They do not necessarily order the total number of books requested by
the department.
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 7 of 8
Pricing/Bundle Packs/Avg. Costs per Semester
HVCC has a price-matching policy for textbooks. If a student can show that the
same item is “in stock” and “currently available”, HVCC will price match items found
elsewhere (i.e. Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Amazon).
The college and print shop on campus take care of duplication bundles. Bundles
are then sold from the HVCC bookstore.
Mr. Stegman estimated that the average cost for first semester freshman is
approximately $350.00. Slightly higher average of $400.00 for those in technical
programs.
Pre-packaging services are also available to students, just like UAlbany.
Buy –Back Pricing:
Textbooks which can be reused are purchased back from the students at a rate of
approximately 50% of the purchase price.
Library and Textbooks:
The HVCC college library does have a large number of textbooks used by the
departments as part of their permanent holdings. All textbooks are non-circulating.
Departments pay for the copy retained by the library.
MINUTES, ULC meeting of October 16, 2006, page 8 of 8