At St. Thomas University, undergraduate students do not need to make separate purchases for textbooks, they are all included!
Created in partnership with Akademos by VitalSource, St. Thomas University’s Bobcat Books course material program is an innovative, personalized, and affordable solution for students. At the start of each qualifying term, all students will receive all the physical and digital course materials they need to succeed.
How it Works
Faculty select the course materials they want to use and submit it through the online bookstore website. Akademos then sources the materials in physical and digital formats.
Once registered for the upcoming term, materials are compiled with physical textbooks to be picked up on campus the first week of school, while digital course material access information is emailed.
Program Benefits:
- High-quality, low-cost course materials for all of your registered classes
- One flat fee for books regardless of course, major, or material format
- No out-of-pocket textbook costs
- Delivery of all materials prior to the first day of class
- A personalized website showing courses and when, where, and how course materials will be delivered
- An integrated system where digital materials are easily referenced through the bookstore’s eLibrary and move with you as courses are added and dropped
- Year-round student support with 24/7 availability during the back-to-school season
What actions do students need to take?
Not much at all!
- Check out your course list at stu.vitalsource.com to see what materials you’ll receive
- Pick up your books at the designated location. We will email you where to pick up your text books prior to class start.
- Check your email for digital access information
Contact stu.vitalsource.com/help if you have any questions.
Required Steps:
- Pick up physical items prior to class start.
- Access digital materials: You will be emailed access information for your digital materials. Depending on the item, you may access the materials through Canvas, through a publisher’s website, or through VitalSource.
Recommended steps:
- Log into stu.vitalsource.com before every major term to see what materials you will receive. This is especially important so that you know which of your items are physical and which are digital.
Student FAQ
Program Questions
What is Bobcat Bookstore?
St. Thomas University’s course material program Bobcat Bookstore is administered through the St. Thomas University Online Bookstore and provides all students with all their required course materials before the first day of class at one affordable price.
How is this program beneficial to all students?
Although all undergraduate students pay the same tuition and fees, regardless of their major, there is still a financial disparity in the costs of textbooks and other course materials. To address this issue and promote equal academic opportunities for all students, this program adopts a pricing model for course materials that aligns with the other costs of attendance. By doing so, it aims to reduce the financial disparity and ensure that all students, regardless of their field of study, have access to the educational resources they need in order to succeed.
Where can I find one list with everything I need for the term?
Visit the website at stu.vitalsource.com and log into the website with your St. Thomas University account. Your “My Courses” page will appear with a list of all the courses that you are registered for plus all the materials that you will receive.
Is this a campus-wide program?
Yes, all undergraduate students at St. Thomas University are included in this program.
Does this cover all terms?
Yes, all Fall, Spring, Summer, and Winter term courses are included in the program.
Do I have to verify my order before it is delivered?
No, the bookstore will send a confirmation email so that you know what materials you will be receiving, but you do not need to take any action to ensure the materials are delivered.
Are the course materials associated with my courses physical or digital?
This program provides a mix of physical and digital texts and often depends on faculty choice and availability. You can log into your bookstore account to see which items are physical and which are digital.
One of the items I am receiving is a digital text. Can I get a physical book instead?
If a digital-only text is assigned, students have the option to purchase a print accompaniment in addition to the digital text that they will automatically receive as part of the program. If you wish to buy physical texts, you can select them and check out as you would on any other ecommerce website. Pay with credit, debit, PayPal, Google Pay, or ApplePay.
Can I buy other things on the bookstore website?
Yes! The bookstore sells various course supplies and other items. You can browse and order like you would on any other online retail store.
Do I need to return physical books at the end of the term?
No, you will own the textbooks at the end of the term. For digital course materials, you may have time limits on how long you can access them. You can review expiration dates in your bookstore My Library account.
Access Questions
Where do I pick up my physical books?
Location will be communicated prior to the start of classes.
What happens if I don’t pick up my books?
The St. Thomas University Online Bookstore will send out several notifications reminding you to pick up your books. If you do not pick them up, you will still be charged for the materials. Abandoned items will become property of the St. Thomas University.
How do I access my digital course materials?
All digital course material access information will be emailed to you on or before the first day of class. Depending on the item, materials will be available through your LMS account, a publisher website, or through VitalSource. If you ever need a reminder about what digital course materials you should have access to, visit your My Library in your bookstore account to see a master list.
Are the digital items fully accessible?
Vitalsource, the main platform through which the bookstore delivers digital items, is fully accessible. If physical copies of materials are needed, students should contact the St. Thomas University’s accessibility office on a case-by-case basis.
Payment Questions
How much does this cost?
The cost is included in your tuition and fees.
What happens if I drop a class?
Refunds will be processed in accordance with existing deadlines and procedures through the St. Thomas University’s registrar’s office.
Learner Experience Questions
What happens if I drop or add a course?
Adding a class: The bookstore will continually check for new enrollments in classes until the add/drop date, so any new materials that are needed will continue to be processed. To check the delivery status, visit your bookstore account and under your profile click “My Orders”.
Other Questions
Who do I contact if I have additional questions about my course materials?
Contact the bookstore at stu.vitalsourcecom/help
It‘s the first day of class and my textbooks aren’t available for pickup or I don’t see the digital materials in my bookstore My Library account.
If you’ve recently added a course, then the order might still be on its way. Visit the website to review your personalized My Courses, which will show you when items arrived or if they are still on their way. You can also contact the bookstore for a status update or to review your account in case there is a discrepancy.
What happens if physical items are damaged or destroyed?
If there is a problem with the items that were delivered, the bookstore will replace them as needed. Contact them via the Help page on the website.
What happens if I am missing a textbook or received the wrong one?
Contact the bookstore through the website and they will assist you. Make sure to include your email, course name, course section, and the isbn of the missing item.
Faculty FAQ
Program Questions
What is Bobcat Bookstore and what is Total/Equitable Access?
Bobcat Bookstore, also known in the industry as “Total or Equitable Access” is a course material delivery program where all of a student’s required course materials are provided to them automatically on the first day of class. This ensures that every student is given the same access to ALL of the materials they need to succeed in class.
What are the benefits of this program?
Every student receives their course materials – physical and/or digital – by the first day of class at an affordable price.
When students are provided with their materials on time and at an affordable cost, they can engage with them early and often and experience better learning outcomes resulting in successful program completion and graduation.
When working with Akademos, faculty and administrators decide what is best for students and have complete control over every adoption and delivery type. Because the model carries a software and logistics fee and no margins on the materials themselves, the St. Thomas University has complete control over the costs of the program. There is an adoption cost insight report, which can become the cornerstone of your St. Thomas University’s course materials adoption strategy. From there, administrators can analyze adoption patterns at the course, instructor, department, or campus level.
Who is participating in this program?
All undergraduate students are included in this program.
What course materials are included in the program?
Akademos sources both physical and digital texts but St. Thomas University has chosen to go digital first with most materials being delivered in digital format. The format often depends on the selected items and their availability.
How much does this cost?
Books are included in your costs for tuition and fees.
Adopting Course Materials
How do I adopt course materials?
Visit the website at stu.vitalsource.com and log in with your St. Thomas University account. Once logged in you will see all of the courses that you are assigned to teach or oversee. Use the search tool to type in an ISBN or title and then follow the steps to add details and submit it to Akademos. You can also message your Akademos Virtual Store Manager through the website if you have special textbook settings or requests.
What kinds of materials can I adopt to my course?
Faculty have academic freedom and can select the materials they feel are best for their class, including traditional textbooks, OER materials, or other non-textbook items. Digital materials are often encouraged because they are more affordable and students receive access immediately, which can be helpful if they add or drop courses. Akademos’ website and Virtual Store Managers provide the tools, analysis, and information so that faculty and administrators have a clear picture of textbook costs for transparency and can review opportunities to lower costs term over term.
When are course materials adoptions due?
Adoptions are due 90 days before the start of each term. In order for Akademos to deliver all print and digital materials to students on the first day of class, we need the support and participation of faculty and administrators to submit adoptions on time. Once submitted, Akademos reviews them to ensure that a) availability is established, b) the lowest cost formats are sourced, and c) any recommendations are made available to the adopter. If we anticipate availability issues, we may reach out and recommend similar titles, alternative formats (ebook vs bundle or physical request), or suggest alternative materials such as OER which covers the same content with lower price points.
I want my students to have physical course materials. Can I indicate that?
Yes, instructors who wish to utilize a physical option for their course materials even if lower-cost, digital items are available, may indicate this choice when making their adoption section. Once approved by an administrator, Akademos will conform to this choice and deliver the item in physical formats.
I have created my own course materials in the past. How should I proceed?
If you have created materials that include selections of traditional texts, library resources, powerpoint slides, etc., you can submit those through the website and it will be provided as a coursepack.
My class doesn’t use textbooks/I use OER materials. Do students still have to pay?
Yes, this program includes all courses in a term and is not offered on a course-by-course basis. Please make sure to indicate that your materials are OER or other in the website so bookstore staff can provide a full course list to students.
If I want to change the text I adopted, what should I do?
We encourage faculty members to submit their adoptions early and to avoid making last-minute changes due to the nature of the program. If you have an unavoidable change, please contact your Virtual Store Manager as soon as possible.
Access Questions
How do students access digital materials through this program?
All digital course material access information will be emailed to students on or before the first day of class. Depending on the item, materials will be available through a student’s LMS account, a publisher website, or through VitalSource.
How do students receive their physical materials?
Students can pick up their physical items at a location communicated prior to the first day of class.
Learner Experience Questions
Where should I send my students if they need help?
stu.vitalsource.com/help. Through that page students can use the dynamic help tool to answer their questions or they can call or email the bookstore.
Who do I contact if I am having trouble with the program?
Please contact your Virtual Store Manager through the bookstore’s website.
Where do I go if I’m having trouble setting up publisher courseware (Cengage, Pearson, McGraw Hill, etc.)
Contact your publisher representative or visit their faculty help pages. Your Virtual Store Manager may be able to help in some cases, but going to the publisher first is recommended.