Barnes & Noble contract expiring early June, new contract to be signed by March 1

The university bookstore has been under Barnes & Noble’s ownership since 2002, and that contract is due to expire June 1, 2019.

The university decided to undergo a request for proposal (RFP) to view all partnership possibilities. As of now, they are Barnes & Noble, Follett, BBA Solutions and Akademos/Indico.

John Howe, associate dean of students, said it was a good time for an RFP.

“Partly, I think it’s just the changing landscape of textbooks,” Howe said. “I think it was a good time to put out an RFP (which) allows vendors to come and present their ideas, their models and it lets us see what is the best fit for the University of South Dakota.”

In an email addressed to USD students, the various vendors visited campus from Jan. 10-15 in a forum for students and faculty to ask questions to the various vendor representatives.

Howe said that this process can change how textbooks are adopted.

“When bookstores 15 years ago were operationalized, there weren’t rental programs, there weren’t digital textbooks, there weren’t first-day access programs, there wasn’t courseware,” Howe said. “The whole landscape changed and shifted drastically. That does change the driver for how textbooks are adopted and pushed forward, purchased and utilized by students, faculty and staff.”

Howe said that opening this RFP allows the university to see other available options.

“We’re able to see other models that are prevalent and present and (this allows) us to see other opportunities out there that might better fit the USD context,” Howe said.

According to Howe, the RFP process was something that was under the Abbott administration and his executive council decided that it was time for an RFP. One of the aspects of this was to assemble a committee, with chairs Darby Ganshow and Howe.

What they completed next were numerous information gatherings, such as looking at other RFP documents and other contracts. The committee also had numerous faculty members, which were nominated by university senate, Student Government Association president and vice president, a member of the graduate and professional student association, as well as others.

Howe said that the use of USD bookstore survey was used as information to create a document as a job description which was posted on the South Dakota state site.

The next step of the committee, Howe said, was to create a rubric that overlooks the various proposals, and from those evaluations, four vendors were selected to come to campus.

Darby Ganschow, a co-chair on the RFP committee and the Director of Auxiliary Services at USD, said in an email interview with The Volante that this process should be finished early March.

“The RFP was released on Oct. 1, and proposals were accepted until Nov. 15. The committee received six responses to the RFP, and four vendors were invited to campus to present their proposal to the committee, students, faculty and staff,” Ganschow said. “The RFP committee will make a recommendation to the executive council on Feb. 4. Our goal is to have a signed contract by March 1.”

Ganschow said the goal is to have each vendor showcase their services.

“Our goal was to explore all options for book store management,” Ganschow said. “The RFP process provided just that as each vendor provides the service in their own unique way.”

Josh Sorbe, SGA president and member of the committee, said in an email interview with The Volante that students will see changes.

“Students will potentially see new policies and/or programming beginning this August, changing the bookstore experience for all students,” Sorbe said.

Sorbe said that he takes student representation on the committee seriously.

“I have attested to the student experience at the Barnes & Noble bookstore, analyzed proposals through a student lens, and offered suggestions to help reduce costs and improve accessibility,” Sorbe said. “We are the main consumers of the bookstore’s products, so I took my representation of students on this committee with great responsibility.”

Sorbe said that no matter what the decision is, a new bookstore will benefit the campus.

“Purchasing course materials is one of the highest variable costs students incur in college,” Sorbe said. “A new bookstore provider could offer market innovations not offered in the status quo, with the goal to reduce barriers and costs while maintaining course quality.”