As Equitable Access (EA) continues to gain traction in the market, many institutions are trying to determine if they should manage this course material program themselves or find a partner to help. First, let’s lay some groundwork to ensure we are understanding what EA is and why it is making an impact.
What is Equitable Acess?
EA programs allow students to access all course materials on the first day of class for one low fee embedded in the cost of tuition or fees, regardless of major, the format of materials, or financial aid status. Think of it as Inclusive Access at the student level, instead of at the course level. It operates very similarly but provides both print and digital materials.
Why Equitable Access?
- Lowers course material costs
- Increases access to materials before the first day of class
- Improves student performance
- Levels the playing field for all students
- Allows for timely use of financial aid
- Removes confusion for parents and students
Now that you have the baseline of information around what EA is and why you should do it, you are ready to weigh the options of self-managing your EA or partnering with a provider.
- Cash Flow. If you manage EA yourself, you will also need to cash flow and source all of your own materials. If not, your partner will source and cash flow all of your required course materials.
- Physical Logistics. In a self-managed model, you will need to determine how you are going to order and distribute your physical materials. This is also true if you partner with a digital-only provider. Some stores have the staff and software to figure this out. If that isn’t true for you, you may want to pick a partner who will package all physical materials, box them by individual students, and have them delivered to the store, dorm, or preferred address.
- Discounts and Pricing. If you have a team of people who can work with publishers and negotiate your rates for physical and digital materials, operating your own EA program might be right up your alley. If that feels overwhelming, a partner can do this en masse and get the power of bulk purchasing.
- Marketing, Communications, and Customer Support. Do you have a great relationship with your marketing and communications teams? You will need their help to get the word out about this new course materials program. You will also need to support your students and help them get book rentals back at the end of a term, which requires the right software and people to give this level of service to your students. A great partner should be providing all of these elements for you as an extension of your staff.
- Pricing the Program. Determining the right price for an EA program can sometimes be the hardest element. Many campuses have hired actuaries to help them set the price. The price can be per credit hour, a flat fee, built into tuition or fees, or customized by what each individual student consumes. If this step makes you feel overwhelmed, a partner might be the best option for you. A partner can determine your price and work with you to set your store commission rate.
Getting the right buy-in to move forward with a new model like EA takes some effort, but the impact you can have on the success of your students is worth it! If you’re exploring managing your equitable access program yourself or looking for an awesome partner to help you make it happen, be sure to let our team at Slingshot weigh in!
