An internal study showing 49% of its students were
either buying textbooks at places other than the campus store or not buying
them at all, prompted administrators at Southern New Hampshire University
(SNHU) to look for a solution. It was decided to negotiate savings for students
in the new campus store contract.
Instead of trying to hash out a deal with publishers,
SNHU is working with the potential vendors of its campus store. The university
was willing to waive the commission it would normally receive, reported by Inside Higher Education to be $500,000 for the
2011-12 school year, if a vendor would pass those savings on to students in the
form of lower textbook prices.
The university is hoping reduced markups on textbooks
will translate into more students buying their textbooks and doing so in the
store, which will mean greater volume for the vendor. SNHU estimates the three
bids it has received could save students up to $1.8 million on textbooks in the
2012-13 school year, based on the proposals and expected enrollment.
SNHU was able to consider such a move because of the
success of its online learning program, which has brought in $12 to $14 million
each of the last few years. But SNHU President Paul LeBlanc also saw dealing
directly with publishers as a potential threat to the freedom of instructors to
pick the textbooks they want.
“What goes out the window is choice,” he said.
