At many college bookstores, revenues from textbooks and course materials continues to shrink every year – something that's already well known but proven to be difficult to fix. With competition from online giants like Amazon and a digital transformation in course materials, university administrators need new strategies to improve sales while continuing to meet student needs.

The brand new 2019 College Business Officers Survey we just completed reveals how higher ed institutions plan to meet these challenges with innovative, low-cost, digital options.

Tipping points can be defined by a series of changes, often small ones, that become critical enough to bring about an unstoppable change. The use of digital course materials in colleges and universities is already at its tipping point.

Agreement extends options for affordable course materials to students at 120+ Akademos Partner institutions  

Today, we're pleased to announce a new partnership to distribute and market Cengage Unlimited
through Akademos' online bookstore technology.

Cengage Unlimited is a first-of-its-kind subscription that gives students access to all of the company's digital higher education materials. This includes more than 22,000 products – across 70 disciplines and more than 675 courses—for $119.99 a semester, no matter how many Cengage materials they use. Students using the digital platforms also have the option of free print rentals, paying only a $7.99 shipping fee.  

In addition to distributing Cengage Unlimited, an innovative co-marketing agreement will leverage Akademos' strengths in ecommerce and our deep relationships with partner institutions, to identify eligible students and illustrate the value of the subscription based on enrollment and course materials pricing information. This embedded virtual bookstore experience will ensure that every student from all of our participating institutions is aware of Cengage Unlimited's value, supporting a continuing drive to ensure affordability of course materials for students. 

"As we continue to build momentum with Cengage Unlimited, our partnership with Akademos will open access to more learners while also delivering targeted information about Cengage Unlimited to help today's students understand their digital options," said Todd Markson, Chief Strategy Officer, Cengage. "The truly embedded experience within the student purchase path will ensure students make the right, affordable choice and will get access to their courses and a wide array of high quality materials."

"We are pleased to be working with Cengage to offer this creative subscription product to the colleges and universities we serve," said John Squires, CEO, Akademos.  "Our Course Materials Platform (CMP)™ is uniquely positioned to advance innovative ideas like Cengage Unlimited. Its advanced targeting capabilities, along with our student marketing expertise, will allow us to highlight the Unlimited offering to faculty and their students who will benefit the most from its value." 

Contact us to learn more about how our partnership can benefit your institution. 

How Your Campus Can Prepare for the Influx of the First True Digital Natives

While many of us remember life before the Internet, there is an entire generation that’s never lived without it.  Generation Z, born 2001–2013, grew up in the digital age, where tablets, smartphones and instant access to information were all a part of their day-to-day reality literally from birth. They’ve seen technologies become obsolete as quickly as they’ve been created so, despite their young age, they’re skilled at adapting to new modalities. Generation Z is accustomed to choice, instant information, speed and ease of use  –  at home, socially, and in their classrooms.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has announced that it will be launching a new online college bookstore, just in time for its 2018 summer semester. The story was recently covered by North Carolina's Charlotte-based news station, WBTV. In a press release covering the details of its partnership with Akademos, the college had this to say about offering its students low cost textbook options and significant savings: