MSC Bookstore Advisory Committee - Office of the Provost and ...

MSC Bookstore Advisory Committee
Minutes
September 26, 2011Meeting
Members in Attendance: Ann Kenimer, Peter Drysdale, Mark Zoran, Bekah Gold, Stephen
Barnes, Amber Adams, Shane Hinckley, Tom Reber, Pierce Cantrell, Jennifer Martin, Jeanne
Harrell, Holley Scott, Jason Brooks, Chad Wootton. Dean Endler, Ex-Officio.
Presenters Present: Philip Ray, Associate Vice President, Division of Finance; Marc Eckhart,
Regional Manager for Barnes & Noble
Chad Wootton, Chair, provided welcome remarks and thanked all for agreeing to participate in
this advisory committee.
He briefly described the origination of an advisory committee for the MSC Bookstore, including
a brief summary of the role of the MSC Bookstore as an on campus purveyor of aggie
merchandise, convenience items for on campus students and facilitator of student course
materials needs. The latter includes working with faculty to assist in their selection of course
materials as well as collecting the listing of required and recommended course materials needs
for each course, so that listing can be posted for student review in advance of the semester. Chad
also discussed how the designation of the MSC Bookstore to work with department liaisons to
collect the required and recommended course materials helps Texas A&M to remain in
regulatory compliance with state and federal regulations. It was noted that the MSC Bookstore
shares the listing with other booksellers as well.
Chad shared that in the early 90’s Texas A&M decided to outsource the operations of the
University bookstore through a request for proposals from third party vendors. Barnes & Noble
was selected. The RFP was re-issued in 2005 and Barnes & Noble was selected once again.
Chad described how this committee can provide some review, feedback and campus awareness
of activities associated with the MSC Bookstore and operator Barnes & Noble.
Each committee member introduced themselves and their representative role on the committee.
Chad discussed the charge for the committee, referring to the Provost’s invitation letter and
asked for any feedback on the charge. Members can send any feedback prior to next meeting.
Chad introduced Phillip Ray and Dean Endler from the Division of Finance. Phillip discussed
the successful partnership that has existed between Barnes & Noble and Texas A&M in
facilitating the MSC Bookstore and its many services over the years, including the recent

financial commitment by Barnes & Noble to the renovation of their retail space and amenities in
the MSC, which will improve services. Through the contractual arrangement Barnes & Noble
returns over $1.5 million a year to the University which has been used to support scholarships,
student activities, University Libraries and individual programs such as New Faculty Orientation.
Dean Endler provided a timeline of the partnership and contract administration highlights.
Holley Scott provided an overview of MSC Bookstore operations, partnerships and services for
students and faculty. Holley shared that the MSC Bookstore employs over 100 student workers
each year.
Tom Reber provided a general update on the MSC construction project. Reported that rededication
is planned for April 21, 2012 and that the project is on time and under budget.
Marc Eckhart, Regional Manager of Barnes & Noble provided a review of course materials sales
and trends. The committee discussed trends in electronic textbooks and rental textbooks.
Chad & Holley discussed the communication with faculty on submitting course materials
adoptions and the timeline for processing these. The listing of course materials is posted on the
MSC Bookstore website and linked to the HOWDY registration portal for students to view when
registering for classes. The listing of course materials for a student’s class schedule can be
purchased from the MSC Bookstore, saved for further review or printed for the student to
comparison shop using the ISBN number and description. The listing of course materials for
each course is also provided to other local booksellers.
Having the course materials listing from faculty also helps bookstores make decisions on buying
used course materials at the end of term and planning for rentals and electronic versions.
Chad discussed how the committee will work on future discussion items and seek feedback for
the Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Finance and/or
other administrators as appropriate.
Future Discussion Items for next meeting include:
MSC Bookstore Plans for Renovated Space in MSC
National Campus Bookstore Trends & Data
Chad discussed possible meeting dates in November and indicated Stacy Deleon, Administrative
Assistant to the Associate Vice President would be in contact to seek best date for the committee.
Chad thanked all again for their service and adjourned.