Academic Policies and Procedures

Policy 02:03:00

Selection of Textbooks and Materials

Purpose:

To assign responsibility for the selection of textbooks and ancillary course materials, establish requirements relative to their use, and minimize costs while maintaining quality of education and academic freedom.

Revision Responsibility: Dean of Nursing

Responsible Executive Office: Dean of Nursing

Created: July 29, 2009, Revised: January 17, 2011 to reflect revised organizational chart, June 16, 2016 to reflect updated procedures, June 29, 2018 to reflect revised workflow process with eCampus.

Policy:

I. Full-time faculty teaching the course or a committee selected from those faculty by the Dean of Nursing or the Faculty Chair may review possible textbooks/ancillary materials and recommend selections.

II. Cost to students will be a consideration in the selection of textbooks and ancillary materials. In general, the lowest cost current alternative that meets the instructional needs and quality standards of the course will be selected. Ancillary materials will be required only if essential to meeting the student learning objectives of the course. Bundled materials will be considered only if the ancillary materials bundled with the textbooks are essential to the course and/or they deliver cost savings to the students.

III. Also included in the consideration process is an assessment that ensures texts/references are sufficiently comprehensive and reflect current occupational knowledge and practice.  The appropriateness of the level of instruction provided by the text and ancillaries as well as the use of the text by similar program types in the state and the nation will also be a consideration.

IV. Textbooks selected will generally be used a minimum of two years. New editions are not considered new selections.

V. All faculty teaching the same course will use the same textbook and ancillary materials.

Procedures:

I. The full-time faculty teaching the course or a committee selected from those faculty by the Dean of Nursing or Faculty Chair will review possible textbooks/ancillary materials and recommend new selections.  The Knowledge Resource Library (KRL) Staff will assist the faculty in working with the faculty to secure desk copies and access to text ancillaries for review as part of the decision-making process.

II. In disciplines with no full-time faculty, the Dean of Nursing, with consideration from the Faculty Chair in consultation with the part-time faculty teaching the course, will select the textbooks/ancillary materials. 

III. After completing a thorough review of the text and ancillaries, the faculty or committee can present their proposal for adoption to the Dean of Nursing. 

IV. The Dean will inform the Knowledge Resource Library staff if the proposed textbook change is approved and the effective implementation date of the change.

V. The Knowledge Resource Library staff will provide eCampus.com with complete and current course material adoption data. Adoption data due dates will be based on Platt College’s course registration dates.