Tech Begins Process to Enhance Bookstores

Arkansas Tech University has initiated a process to make its bookstores in Russellville and Ozark more engaging to its campus communities and to ensure access to affordable instructional materials for its students.

A request for proposals was issued through the Arkansas Tech Office of Procurement and Risk Management during the fall 2016 semester in an effort to identify a vendor that will manage on-campus bookstores on behalf of the university.

Three respondents — Barnes and Noble College, BBA Solutions and Follett — were invited to make on-campus presentations during the month of November to a committee comprised of students, faculty and staff and representing the Russellville and Ozark campuses.

That committee has shared its feedback with the Arkansas Tech executive council, which will forward a recommendation on which vendor the university should choose to the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees. The board will have an opportunity to consider the matter during its next scheduled meeting on Dec. 15, 2016.

Arkansas Tech is the only Southern Regional Education Board Four-Year Level III institution in the state that currently operates its own bookstore without management from an outside vendor.

“Price matching on textbooks was a significant consideration as we evaluated our options,” said Bernadette Hinkle, vice president for administration and finance at Arkansas Tech. “We have a responsibility to our students to take every possible step to provide them with direct access to the most affordable textbooks and instructional materials. Each of the three vendors that presented to our committee last month included price matching in their proposals. They are all great companies.”

Other factors considered during the process have included current bookstore staff transitions, ease of book adoptions for faculty, integration with Banner and Blackboard computer software systems, the overall financial feasibility of the proposals and the added value that each potential vendor could offer for the benefit of the student experience at Arkansas Tech.

“We want our bookstores to offer competitively-priced textbooks and be partners that help build a sense of community,” said Hinkle. “As it relates to the Russellville campus bookstore specifically, we would like to create a new layout that may include an expanded retail space, reading areas and a technology center.”

Hinkle was joined on the recommending committee for a bookstore vendor by Dr. Linda Bean, professor of business and interim associate dean of the College of Education; Dr. Rebecca Burris, professor of nursing and head of the Department of Nursing; Sandy Cheffer, chief fiscal officer at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus; Fred Clayton, director of administrative services; Katherine Ehemann, associate controller; Mike Hutchison, vice president for advancement; Dr. Cathi McMahan, associate professor of recreation and park administration and head of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Hospitality Administration; Chris Moss, information security officer in the Office of Information Systems; Steve Mullins, director of athletics; Michael Murders, chief academic officer at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus; Amy Pennington, interim vice president for student services; Donna Rankin, controller; and Tammy Weaver, registrar.

Current Arkansas Tech Bookstore employees were among other members of the campus community invited to the vendor presentations. Hinkle said the university has been in contact with the bookstore employees from the outset of the project, and that each of the potential vendors has indicated a desire to interview and possibly hire existing bookstore employees for full-time and student labor positions.

Hinkle said that some of the most meaningful contributions to the conversations came from students on the committee — Danielle Caldwell, Emma Kinsey and Malik Oliver.

“The students asked really good questions,” said Hinkle. “It was clear that they are interested in affordable textbooks and course materials, and in making the bookstore a more prominent part of campus life.”