Bookstore Liaison Team (BLT) Update:
Academic Years 2013-14 & 2014-15
Introduction: This report is intended to provide an update on the work of the Bookstore Liaison Team
(BLT) as well as the Bookstore Expectations.
Bookstore Liaison Team:
Team charge: The BLT provides an administrative connection between the institution and the for-profit
Follett Bookstore servicing the College, with the intention of representing the College’s interests in this
relationship. This team develops and provides oversight to Bookstore-related processes that impact
students, faculty and the broader College mission. Most specifically, this team provides leadership in
assessing, developing and facilitating the textbook adoption and ordering process such that, to the
greatest extent possible, textbooks are available for students before the semester begins, and in a
manner consistent with the directives of relevant federal regulation (i.e., Higher Education Opportunity
Act (HEOA) of 2008).
The work of the BLT also helps assure the institution’s fulfillment of expectations for accreditation
established by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), specifically Criterion Three – Teaching and
Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support, and even more specifically, subsection 3.D.4, which states:
“The institution provides to students and instructors the infrastructure and resources necessary
to support effective teaching and learning.” (Higher Learning Commission - New Criteria for
Accreditation – Final Version, adopted February 24, 2012)
Team scope: The work of the BLT is primarily systemic and oriented toward developing, encouraging
and assessing process-level systems functioning. The BLT is not charged with the resolution of individual
textbook issues, as those are most appropriately handled at the level of the department head and
affected faculty member, supported by their operational associate dean, as needed.
BLT membership: Membership of the BLT intentionally draws from a representative diversity of the
campus community. Current members of the BLT are:
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Faculty: Nick Antonakis, Frank Conner, Laurie Foster, Eve Sidney, Karen Walker
Printing Services: Danelle Sedore, Laura DeVries
Bookstore: Scott Peters and Jennifer Rockafellow
Financial Services: Jim Peterson
Support Professionals: Amy Bennett and Laura Caulk
Team coordinator: Lilly Anderson
BLT operational processes: As noted, the primary role of the BLT is developing and facilitating the
textbook adoption and ordering process such that, to the greatest extent possible, textbooks are
available for students before the semester begins, and in a manner consistent with the directives of
relevant federal regulation. The following table details those processes and measurement of those
processes:
Operational Processes
Completed for
AY 2013-14/
2014-15?
Comments
In conjunction with the Bookstore, the BLT sets the textbook
ordering calendar for each academic year and disseminates
this to the academic departments. This calendar establishes
the deadlines by which orders must be submitted.
Yes/Yes
These dates were
updated and
disseminated for
2013-14 & 2014-15
Textbook ordering dates are also incorporated into the DH-PD
working calendars developed each academic year to guide the
work of the department heads and program directors.
Yes/Yes
Beginning in Winter 2012, the BLT began publicizing Textbook
Status Updates (maintained by the bookstore) to enhance
communication and compliance. The BLT uses these
databases for regular communication with associate deans and
academic departments to encourage compliance with ordering
deadlines and provide information on current textbook status.
These updates include:
 Missing Adoptions List: a list of courses for which
departments have not identified a textbook.
 Textbook Status Report: a published list of textbooks
that have been ordered, but have yet to be received in
the bookstore.
 Semester Booklist – (preceding semester): the list of
books ordered in the preceding semester to be used as
a reference.
(Here is a link to the status updates page on the GRCC
webpage: http://cms.grcc.edu/TextbookStatus )
Yes/Yes
These dates were
incorporated into the
DH-PD working 201314 & 2014-15
calendars
These lists and/or
reports continue to
be provided in a
timely fashion.
Approximately 3 weeks after the beginning of the semester
(and additionally if needed), a bookstore survey is sent to each
Department Head/Program Director and departmental
Support Professional to gather feedback. This data is then
reviewed by BLT.
Yes/Yes
The BLT met to
review the start-up
of Fall 2013, Winter
2014, Fall 2014 and
Winter 2015.
BLT outcome measures: In our ongoing effort to maintain and improve the effectiveness of the textbook
ordering process, the following table details our outcome measures and the results of our assessment of
these measures:
Outcome Measures*
Assessed
2013-14 Results
2014-15 Results
A formal survey is sent to academic
departments to collect data on start-up
issues (e.g., late books, missing books,
wrong books). These data are tabulated
and circulated to the BLT for review, and
then discussed in a semester debriefing
meeting.
Yes
With the change in
Bookstore
leadership, we
continue to see a
vast improvement in
our reduction of late
books, missing
and/or wrong
textbooks.
% of books identified by first deadline
Yes
F 2013: 28%#
W 2014: 31%
S 2014: 30%
We continue to see an
overall reduction of
late books, missing
and/or wrong
textbooks. We will
continue to work with
departments to
improve our % to
meet the first
deadline for
submissions.
F 2014: 6%
W 2015: 42%
S 2015: NA
% of books identified when registration
begins (HEOA guideline)
Yes
F 2013: 64%#
W 2014: 68%
S 2014: 57%
F 2014: 6%
W 2015: 71%
S 2015: NA
% of books identified by final deadline
Yes
F 2013: 97%
W 2014: 99.90%
S 2014: 99%
F 2014: 95%
W 2015: 99%
S 2015: NA
% of books on shelf 2 weeks before
semester begins
Yes
F 2013: 94%
W 2014: 98%
S 2014: 94%
F 2014: 97%
W 2015: 95%
S 2015: NA
% of books missing two weeks before
semester begins
Yes
F 2013: 3%
W 2014: 2%
S 2014: 6%/1%
F 2014: 3%
W 2015: 5%
S 2015: NA
# of complaints received by bookstore
Yes
F 2013: 86
F 2014: Not measured
W 2014: 130
by Bookstore
S 2014: Not
W 2015: 58
measured by
S 2015: NA
Bookstore
* Bookstore performance data are provided by the Bookstore’s textbook manager.
# There are inconsistencies in these numbers that are a result of prior Bookstore staff not maintaining
accurate data. Starting Fall 2014, the new Bookstore staff began reporting accurate data.
Current BLT challenges: There are several ongoing challenges that we will continue to address, as well
as progress toward resolution.
Current challenge
Online ordering system
Current status/resolution
a. It has been noted for several years
Records Office import process
Custom Textbooks
Customer Complaint System
Late Change Process
through our departmental surveys that the
technology utilized to enter orders is
“buggy” and not reliable. This has been
brought to the attention of Follett
Corporate on many occasions. There is no
current plan by Follett to improve this
service. However, we will continue to
share any related concern data acquired
through our departmental surveys as we
strive for system improvements.
b. There continues to be requests for the
online order form to “auto fill” to keep
selections such as term and department
selected through multiple adoptions. At
this time, Follett does not have a solution
for this request. We will continue to seek
this system improvement.
During 2015-16 we will work to implement an
auto-course import process. This will eliminate the
need to acquire import files from the Records
office as well as the daily manipulation of the
spreadsheet to import files.
The adoption of custom texts has become
problematic. The concern resides around the lack
of an established minimum time frame for how
long a custom textbook will be utilized. We’ve
experienced a few departments who have decided
to no longer use their custom at a point where we
have an excess on the shelves. This overage
creates a financial burden for Follett to absorb.
Our team will address this matter during 2015-16.
There currently is no formalized customer
complaint system or repository. Our team will
address this during 2015-16.
We continue to combat the late change process
and will work to implement an improvement plan
for 2015-16.
AGC Recommendation: It is recommended that the BLT Update Report for 2015-16 be presented during
the Fall 2016 semester when the data is more current.