Put Your Campus Store Back in Charge of Digital

Here’s the truth: campus stores often struggle to fully control their sales processes when it comes to digital course materials. With so many publishers and learning content providers today, instructors and campus stores want solutions that deliver materials to students.

Many campuses recognize the need to expand beyond third-party publishers alone in order to provide more affordable, accessible options. This requires adoption of the right technology: one that increases access to digital course materials, ensures student data privacy, and supports academic success.

This is your campus store. It’s time to fully own it. No matter what business model you currently operate, there’s a way to take charge of digital products and manage your inclusive access programs without worry.

The Current State of Digital Course Materials

The demand for course materials isn’t going anywhere — and with high demand comes those looking to exploit it. This has led to a current state of course material distribution that’s inequitable for both instructors and students.

Publishers Cutting Out Campuses

Textbook and course materials publishers have discovered they can cut campus stores out of their sales process by selling directly to students. This direct-to-student sales model holds obvious advantages for publishers, but it can cause availability and cost issues for students and campuses.

Third-Party Solutions Replace Campus Stores

As digital course materials have become more popular as an inexpensive alternative to print, third-party platforms have begun selling digital course materials to students through online marketplaces. They draw from 100s of online sources where students can find the materials they need, and campuses simply can’t compete. But this brings its own risks, particularly when it comes to student data.

Student Privacy at Risk

Between publishers, digital 3rd party solutions, and other online sources, student privacy is also a serious concern. Third-party providers often collect detailed information about students, including their academic performance and personal contact information. This data is then used for marketing purposes or sold to other companies. As a result, students may be bombarded with unwanted ads or solicitations, or their data could be breached in a cyberattack.

Students Don’t Know Where to Get Course Materials

Between all of the various sources available, the process for finding the best price and availability for their course materials has become a major source of confusion for students.

Many Campus-Wide Access Programs Put Academic Freedom at Risk

Academic freedom represents the ability of instructors and students to engage in intellectual debate and instruction without interference, censorship, retaliation, or professional disadvantages. It’s an essential pillar of higher education.

Unfortunately, many existing campus-wide solutions such as Day 1 Access programs or the unlimited options offered by content providers can infringe on the academic freedom of instructors. These programs often require instructors to use a specific book or set of materials, which may not be the best fit for their courses. They also don’t offer the flexibility that instructors need to tailor their materials to their students’ needs. As a result, many institutions consider the drawbacks of these programs to be far more significant than their rewards.

Willo: Giving Control Back to Campuses and Students

So, how do campuses take back control of their digital course materials and provide them to students in a way that’s affordable, equitable, and safe?

Willo is a technology solution that enables smooth, secure transfer of data and course materials between campus stores, instructors, publishers, and students. Our platform makes it simple for your campus to connect all digital course material providers through one connection, eliminating 3rd party bookshelves and eCommerce to keep all transactions on-campus.

Meanwhile, Willo negotiates the best price for materials, works with any business model, and still gives instructors the freedom to use whatever books they need to excel in their roles as educators.

Willo gives control back to campuses. Connect with us today to learn more.