Faculty and instructors at WVU have a range of options and resources when planning their course curriculum and selecting materials for the course(s) they will be teaching.
While often referred to as just “textbooks,” course materials can include a wide range of resources, such as articles, websites, digital content, modules, software, community resources, lab supplies, and more. When planning a course, it’s important to consider the educational value of all required (and even recommended) course materials. Each should directly support the students’ learning outcomes.
As a student-first institution, WVU encourages instructors to consider the cost of all course materials and to identify more affordable options when possible. Various campus committees lead several initiatives across the WVU system to help support such affordability efforts. Details about the WVU’s Educational Materials Affordability efforts can be found on the Office of the Provost’s website. Information is available for students, faculty/instructors and administrators.
Some cost-effective options for instructors to consider when selecting course materials include:
- Using open educational resources
- Utilizing WVU Library Reserves and other resources
- Avoiding customized textbooks
- Selecting digital materials that can be provided through eCampus or as access codes
- Permitting the use of previous editions of printed materials, when possible
- Carefully weighing the impact of third-party options and their cost to students
- Meeting textbook selection deadlines
Additional details about these options and more can be found on WVU’s Educational Materials Affordability Initiative webpage.
Identifying Materials with the University Bookstore
Once an instructor has determined which textbooks and materials to use in a course, it is important to capture this information in all the appropriate places, including notifying the WVU Bookstore.
Why It Matters
It is imperative that all instructors submit their course material selections to the WVU Bookstores before the adoption deadline each semester so that the WVU Bookstore can prepare information and resources for students. Undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the First Day® Complete course material delivery program, and are encouraged to search for and review their total cost of required course materials, as compared to the program’s flat fee of $360 for full -time students or $168 for part-time students, to make an informed decision before considering to opt out of the program.
By meeting the WVU Bookstore deadlines, instructors are also helping to ensure that materials will be ordered and available for students by the first day of classes.
What Is Needed
Textbook adoption information should be entered for each course every semester – even when a textbook is not required or an instructor plans to use the same textbook as in previous semesters.
There are two ways to submit the textbook information to the WVU Bookstore – through the AIP system or email. See below for details about each.
Using the Adoption Insight Portal (A.I.P.)
The A.I.P. system can be accessed through the WVU portal. This system has several features:
- Instructors will only see the courses they are assigned to instruct.
- After initial use, there will be a one click "re-adopt" feature for instructors using the same material from last semester.
- There is a one-click feature for instructors who do NOT require any textbooks.
- Instructors can mark textbooks as required or recommended.
- Instructors can also utilize the “book note” section to indicate any low- or no-cost options, such as digital or Library reserves, open educational resources, etc.
Emailing the Bookstore
Instructors can also email the WVU Bookstore with their department, course number(s), section number(s), estimated enrollment per course, and the textbook information per course (author, title, ISBN, publisher). Send emails to textbook manager Emily Jeffreys at Emily.Jeffreys@mail.wvu.edu.
The message should also indicate whether the textbooks are required or recommended and indicate any low- or no-cost options, such as digital or Library reserves, open educational resources, etc.
If you do not plan to use textbooks or materials through the WVU Bookstore, it is just as important to share that information as well.
Deadlines for Submissions
The WVU Bookstore begins requesting textbook information submissions the semester before a course is taught. For spring semester courses, these requests are communicated during the fall semester. For summer and fall semester courses, requests begin during the spring semester.
Choosing textbooks before the deadline helps the WVU Bookstore to begin sourcing books for the upcoming semester. It also helps reduce costs for students, as the WVU Bookstore can potentially provide more used books and ensure that digital books are available for the start of the semester. By sharing the textbook selections, students can search for a bargain price and assess the value of the First Day® Complete program.