Textbook and Course Materials Policy

Purpose

This policy governs the selection, adoption, and availability of textbooks and course materials at McNeese State University. It ensures that course materials support student learning outcomes, are accessible to students before classes begin, and offer the greatest economic advantage, particularly for buy-back opportunities. Departments and faculty must adhere to established deadlines to ensure students have timely access to required materials.

Selection and Adoption of Course Materials

Faculty are responsible for selecting textbooks and course materials that directly support student achievement of course learning outcomes. The McNeese Team Store provides these materials based on information submitted through the Textbook Adoption Form.

When selecting course materials, departmental faculty must consider cost and prioritize affordability. The following guidelines apply:

1. Faculty Input: Adoption decisions must involve input from appropriately credentialed faculty or a faculty committee familiar with the course discipline. Faculty assigned to teach a course after adoption must use the previously selected materials.
2. Two-Year Minimum Adoption: To maximize student buy-back and rental opportunities, a two-year minimum adoption period is expected. Exceptions require written justification from the department head and approval by the college dean and provost and vice president for academic affairs. If faculty assignments change after adoption, the selected materials must remain in use for at least one year.
3. Adoption Deadlines: Departments must submit the Textbook Adoption Form by the announced deadlines each term. Submissions must allow for course material information to be published with the course schedule or at least 45 days before the term begins. Typically, the deadlines are as follows:
   • Summer session: Last week of February.
   • Fall semester: Third week of March.
   • Spring semester: Third week of October.
4. Required Course Materials: Materials marked as “Required” on the Textbook Adoption Form must be used by all students for a substantial part of the course by all instructors teaching the course. Note: Departments are responsible for return shipping costs if students do not use or purchase materials marked as required.
5. Recommended Course Materials: Materials marked as “Recommended” are optional supplements and not essential to course completion.
6. Consistency Across Sections: Multi-section and general education courses must use the same materials across all sections and instructional modalities to ensure student learning outcomes are appropriately assessed, analyzed, and improved as needed.
7. One-Time-Use Materials: Materials such as access codes or workbooks may only be adopted as “Required” if demonstrated to be the most economical option. A written justification from the department head, approved by the college dean, is required.
8. Laboratory Manuals: Laboratory manuals or one-time use workbooks that support lab skills or course outcomes may be adopted as supplements to textbooks.
9. Department Confirmation of Material Status: The department head must confirm whether each item is “Required” or “Recommended” on the Textbook Adoption Form.
10. Textbook Adoption Form Approval: The completed Textbook Adoption Form, including signatures from the college dean, must be submitted by the department head to the McNeese Team Store by the term’s announced deadline.

Each Textbook Adoption Form must include:

• Course title and section number(s)
• Book title, author, edition, and ISBN
• Estimated and maximum enrollment
• Whether the material is “required” or “recommended”

A cover letter from the department head must accompany the form and confirm that all materials will be made available to all vendors upon request. The McNeese Team Store manager serves as the designated central custodian of textbook information and can be reached at (337) 475-5490.

Notice to Students and Availability of Materials

In accordance with University of Louisiana System Policy and Procedures Memorandum FB-IV.XIII-1a, McNeese makes the following information available at least 45 days prior to each academic term:

• Course schedule
• Title, author, edition, and ISBN of each textbook
• Whether each item is required or recommended
• Retail prices for new and used copies
• Acceptance of previous editions

Web links to course material information are provided on course schedules, registration documents, orientation materials, billing notices, emails, and other platforms.

Use of Custom Course Materials or Faculty Authored Course Materials

Departments may adopt custom printed or faculty-authored course materials only when they are shown to be the most economical and beneficial for students.

• A written justification must be submitted by the department head to the college dean.
• Contracts for custom or specialty materials must be approved and signed by the University president or vice president for business affairs. No department or faculty member may enter into a contract without this approval. The University does not honor any contract or part of a contract, nor guarantee any contract or part of a contract, that is not approved and signed by the president or the vice president for business affairs.
• Proceeds from custom materials must be deposited into a restricted academic departmental account—not to any individual—and require two supervisory approvals (usually the dean and provost) for expenditures. A document indicating the departmental account number for proceeds must be signed by the department head, dean, and provost and provided to the McNeese Team Store.
• Permissible uses of proceeds include professional development, travel, supplies, or equipment.

Custom printed materials fall into three pricing categories for the purpose of determining the markup:

• Category I: Required primary textbooks (up to 60% profit on printing costs)
• Category II: Supplementary materials such as lab manuals (up to 25% profit on printing costs)
• Category III: Recommended study materials such as sample exams, reading assignments, homework assignments, etc. (up to 5% profit on printing costs)

Note: In case of overlap, the lowest applicable category applies. Disputes are resolved by the Course Materials and Bookstore Committee.

The McNeese Team Store may set prices for student materials according to local printing costs.

Textbooks Authored by Faculty

Departments may adopt faculty-authored materials for courses, even if the author teaches the course. Before the textbook is adopted, to avoid any conflict of interest, the author must indicate in writing to the department head, college dean, provost and vice president for academic affairs, and vice president for business affairs that they shall comply with one of the following options:

• Option 1: Royalties from books sold for McNeese classes are directed to a departmental restricted account.
• Option 2: Author retains royalties but donates the amount earned from McNeese sales to a departmental restricted account.

Royalties must be deposited into a restricted academic departmental account—not to any individual—and require two supervisory approvals (usually the dean and provost) for expenditures. If the department head or dean authors the books, use of funds must be approved by the provost and the vice president for business affairs. Permissible uses of funds include professional development, travel, supplies, or equipment.

Authors must submit documentation to the department head, dean, provost, and vice president for business affairs confirming that either Option 1 or Option 2 has been followed. The documentation must be sufficient to determine that all conflicts of interest have been avoided and that McNeese State University is in compliance with the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics. The documentation shall include an accounting statement from the McNeese Team Store, delivered to the author by January 31 annually, indicating the number of new books sold during the previous calendar year.

Authors must also complete and disclose appropriate information each year on the Outside Employment/Income, Conflict of Interest, and Conflict of Commitment Disclosure Form.

Faculty may not sell materials directly to students or collect fees.

Contracts for Custom Published Materials

Only the University president or vice president for business affairs may sign contracts for custom-published materials. The University does not honor any contract or part of a contract, nor guarantee any contract or part of a contract, that is not approved and signed by the president or the vice president for business affairs.

Contracts must be:

• Reviewed and recommended by the department head, college dean, and provost.
• Submitted to the Office of Business Affairs with a completed routing form.
• Reviewed by the Office of Business Affairs to ensure compliance with McNeese policies and the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics.

No custom materials may be ordered until the approval process is complete.

All contracts for custom published materials must designate McNeese State University as the payee and the Office of Administrative Accounting as the return address. Proceeds must be deposited to a restricted departmental account, subject to the same approval and use restrictions as outlined above.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.