Policy on Timely Adoption of Textbooks for Students
Academic Senate Policy #S08-249
Rationale
In accordance with the CSU Executive Order 926: the CSU Board of Trustees Policy on Disability Support and Accommodations and Coded Memorandum AA-2006-41 San Francisco State University and the CSU have ongoing commitments to provide access to textbooks and instructional materials, including course readers and electronic reserve materials, to individuals with disabilities that are equal in quality and available at the same time as materials provided to non-disabled students.
As stated in the Disability Support and Accommodations System wide Report No. 02-03, System wide efforts to provide cost effective and e-text material as a reasonable accommodation to disabled students is essential. The term e-text refers to an accessible format; computer files or electronic versions of printed instructional materials that is compatible with commonly used Braille translation and speech synthesis software.
The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) must receive book orders in a timely manner to allow time for the conversion of textbooks, course readers and electronic reserve materials to accessible formats. By having e-text material available before the start of a course, students with disabilities will be immediately able to get a full learning experience from the course. DPRC will continue to meet with department chairs and/or their faculty to help determine which courses and course materials can meet the desired accessibility criteria without altering the fundamental objectives of the course. Experience has demonstrated that timely submitted textbook orders is facilitated when one individual is responsible for coordinating the process within a department.

Advantages of Early Textbook Ordering

For Students

Used Books
When we receive your book orders early, we have months to search with our used book company partners for used books. Students save significantly off the new price of the text when they buy used. When we receive your order later, our time to search for used books is reduced to days, or even hours. We always will take the time to search for used books.

Book Buyback
We say book buyback, and students say sell back. Either way, students get more money at buyback when we need the book for the next term. We only know that we need the book if we have the text order in hand! When we don’t have your order, students will receive a lesser amount or no money for their book, and books go to our used book partner, to be sold to other college stores across the nation.

Books on the Shelves Sooner
With earlier orders from faculty, more students can shop early for their books, have the widest selection of used books available, and take advantage of the SFSU Bookstore’s online ordering or book reservation program. They can also avoid the long lines at the bookstore on the first days of school.

For Faculty

Great Rewards
Each department is awarded an SFSU Bookstore Giftcard to each department with 90% of orders submitted for Fall or Spring semester.

Time for Problems
When we have your order early, we have more time to handle potential publisher problems, such as new editions or out-of-stock situations. We inform you of these problems as soon as we become aware of them, and can help you find a solution that will work best for your class.

Savings on Shipping
When we have more orders earlier, we will be able to arrange for our shipments from vendors to be consolidated, which can mean significant savings on freight costs. We are also able to retain our stock on hand, and save by not returning the stock to the publisher, only to order it again. We will also save because we will have fewer rush shipments to make just before classes start. As a non-profit auxiliary of SFSU, any profits the Bookstore realizes are returned to the campus.

Time for Research
The text department processes over 5,000 titles for each semester. It takes time to be sure that we have the most accurate and up-to-date information for each title. With the additional time, when problems arise, we can search for other sources for the text, or make arrangements to have your materials made into a reader.