Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated to correct some information about the COD/Follet contract. The original piece had noted the incorrect starting year for the contract. The piece has been updated to contain the correct information.
As a first-year student, Jiselle Corral went through the College of DuPage’s (COD) Bookstore to purchase all of her necessary materials for the semester. After making all of her purchases, her total for all of her class supplies was over $140 out of pocket.
“[Books] are pretty absurdly priced,” Corral said. “I think a textbook should be no more than $60.00. Because it’s not like you just have one class, students have at least three to five classes they’re purchasing things for.”
At the beginning of the fall 2024 semester, Follet’s College of DuPage Bookstore has implemented price reductions towards course materials in their shop in order to combat high prices. This includes textbooks, access to online resources and other various necessities.
“The initiative to lower the costs of materials was driven by a commitment to reduce financial barriers for students,” a representative of the Bookstore Committee said. “Recognizing the impact of high material costs on students’ educational experiences, the College of DuPage wanted to find ways to ease this burden and improve affordability.”
Partnered with over 1,000 colleges around North America, Follett is a leading provider of educational materials and retail bookstore services for higher educational materials. Through the contractual partnership started in 2000, Follett manages COD’s bookstore operations, providing students with a wide range of resources.
“This relationship benefits the college by leveraging Follett’s expertise in inventory management, vendor negotiations, and technology support to ensure that students have efficient access to course materials,” the representative said.
One of the bookstore’s primary goals is to increase accessibility and affordability, they said.
“We are happy and proud to partner up to bring the best and affordable pricing to students. Our goal is to provide the best affordability that will help in student academic success,” Campus store manager Shaba Patel said. “Affordable pricing helps with student success. It saves time, as they do not have to worry about looking for better pricing elsewhere. Especially in titles which are custom editions.”
Even though the bookstore made cuts, prices are still lower through other avenues, Corral said.
“If you want a certain textbook, you could buy it on Amazon for like $10.00 to $15.00, rather than spending $50.00 for one book,” she said.
Corral, however, went through Follett’s to ensure the availability of the online resources for her classes, she said.
“Most of our work is online,” Corral said. “I use MP3 files for some classes, and being provided with a PDF version is more convenient for doing work.”
Lowering prices even further would draw students back towards the bookstore as a primary source for materials, she said.
“I think that [lowering the prices] would help with the sales, and it would make it more convenient for students to just pop in and grab a book, rather than waiting online for Amazon to ship it to you,” Corral said.
The bookstore currently offers multiple options for more affordable pricing.
“We also have a price match program, rentals and used books,” Patel said. “Faculty and students get the best experience under one roof and won’t have to worry about finding other avenues. This encompasses the entire student population who also uses vouchers and Financial aid.”
In the following months, the bookstore hopes to increase communication with faculty and publishers for better digital experiences, based on student queries and concerns, Patel said. They also hope to implement an Inclusive Access Program, giving more students opportunities to utilize resources provided by the shop.
“We hope to improve and implement requests provided to us by our surveys that customers can take on their purchasing experience,” he said. “Our surveys are a good tool to improve us as a bookstore. Hence, we strongly encourage every customer to give us their feedback through them.”
The College of DuPage Bookstore, located on the first floor of the Student Resource Center, is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The bookstore is closed on Sundays.
