Located seventy-five minutes from Minneapolis is Bethany Lutheran College, a four-year, private liberal arts college with approximately 800 undergraduate and graduate students. The school recently partnered with Akademos to launch a new online bookstore for the Spring 2023 semester. The school will continue to manage the Bethany Christian Bookstore and Bethany Spirit Store, which specialize in gifts, books, spirit wear, and other merchandise for students.

Bundling the cost of textbooks with tuition, also known as Equitable Access, is on the rise across higher education institutions. Read about why this idea isn’t new, how it aligns with the lifestyle and expectations of today’s students, and how you can customize a program that meets your needs and your school’s timeline. 

Simpson College, a private liberal arts college located in Iowa, transitioned from an on-campus physical bookstore to an online bookstore to support the Spring 2023 Semester. Integrated with Simpson’s Student Information System, students will enjoy a customized experience through single sign-on. With this option enabled, students can see the required and optional course materials and textbooks for their specific course schedules. 

The on-campus store, formerly the bookstore, has fully transformed into the Simpson College Spirit Shop and now offers a more extensive inventory of spirit wear, home goods, and essentials. 

CEO at Akademos, Raj Kaji said, “Simpson College offers innovative learning opportunities and focuses on students that we’re looking forward to supporting. The online bookstore can help drive down costs for students while also offering technology that helps administrators encourage faculty to adopt lower-cost materials semester after semester, and be made aware of student behaviors to ensure student success.” 

Akademos supports a number of Iowa higher education institutions including, but not limited to:

One initiative that has continued to gain strength in higher education is Equitable Access, the course material model that bundles the cost of textbooks with the cost of tuition. While room and board, meal plans, and facility fees have long been paired with tuition, the concept of bundling textbooks into the cost has historically been met with resistance. With a rising need to think outside the box to drive enrollment, embracing change initiatives may be the key to success.

Whether you’re just starting to explore a first-day course materials model or you’re in decision-making mode for the upcoming semesters, our most-read resources around Equitable Access will provide valuable information for your consideration.

Catching students and faculty before they leave campus for the holidays can be challenging. Try these fun and creative ways to increase traffic and guarantee your students head home rocking (and gifting) your gear this holiday season.

In the coming weeks, colleges will transition from the hustling and bustling micro-cities they are during the semester to quiet campuses as students head home for the holidays. Before they make their way off campus, draw them into your spirit stores using these seven creative ideas!

National Louis University is one of Chicago’s oldest universities with a history that dates back to 1886. They offer over 70 undergraduate and graduate programs across their multiple colleges and support a student population of over 10,000 students. They recently partnered with Akademos, an online bookstore solution, to support the Winter 2023 term.