23-4.3:1 - Policies addressing textbook sales and bookstores
§ 23-4.3:1. Policies addressing textbook sales and bookstores.
A. No employee at a Virginia public college or university shall demand orreceive any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, servicesor anything, present or promised, as an inducement for requiring students topurchase a specific textbook required for coursework or instruction; with theexception that the employee may receive (i) sample copies, instructor'scopies, or instructional material, not to be sold; and (ii) royalties orother compensation from sales of textbooks that include such instructor's ownwriting or work.
B. The governing boards shall implement procedures for making available tostudents in a central location and in a standard format on the relevantinstitutional website listings of textbooks required or assigned forparticular courses at the institution.
The lists of those required or assigned textbooks for each particular courseshall include the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) along with otherrelevant information.
Institutions maintaining a bookstore supported by auxiliary services oroperated by a private contractor shall post the listing of such textbookswhen the relevant instructor or academic department identifies the requiredtextbooks for order and subsequent student purchase.
C. The governing boards of public institutions of higher education shallimplement policies, procedures, and guidelines that encourage efforts tominimize the cost of textbooks for students at public colleges anduniversities while maintaining the quality of education and academic freedom.The guidelines shall ensure the following:
1. That faculty textbook adoptions are made with sufficient lead time touniversity- or contract-managed bookstores so as to confirm availability ofthe requested materials and, where possible, ensure maximum availability ofused textbooks;
2. That in the textbook adoption process, the intent to use all itemsordered, particularly each individual item sold as part of a bundled package,is affirmatively confirmed by the faculty member before the adoption isfinalized. If the faculty member does not intend to use each item in thebundled package, he shall notify the bookstore, and the bookstore shall orderthe individualized items when their procurement is cost effective for bothinstitutions and students and such items are made available by the publisher;
3. That faculty members affirmatively acknowledge the bookstore's quotedretail price of textbooks selected for use in each course;
4. That faculty members are encouraged to limit their use of new editiontextbooks when previous editions do not significantly differ in a substantiveway as determined by the appropriate faculty member; and
5. That the establishment of policies shall include provisions for theavailability of required textbooks to students otherwise unable to afford thecost.
D. No funds provided for financial aid from university bookstore revenueshall be counted in the calculation for state appropriations for studentfinancial aid.
(2005, c. 530; 2006, c. 561.)