Fulfilling Higher Education Opportunities Act and Senate Bill 1359 Requirements
Introduction
Cal State Fullerton is on a mission to make higher education more affordable for our students and to eliminate financial barriers to graduation.
To this end, since 2007 Cal State Fullerton has helped students save an estimated $35.5 million on course materials through programs at the campus bookstore, Titan Shops. This includes used books, rentals and digital programs.
As part of these efforts, each semester we ask all faculty members to submit information regarding required textbooks for upcoming courses. Submitting this information in a timely manner not only provides critical information to our students as they choose courses, it is also required by law.
Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA)
The Cal State University (CSU) system must comply with the Higher Education Opportunities Act (HEOA) to receive student financial aid from the federal government. Non-compliance could put at risk more than $1 billion in federal assistance for our students. Per the HEOA, to the maximum extent practicable, each institution of higher education receiving federal financial assistance shall “Disclose, on the institution’s internet course schedule and in a manner of the institution’s choosing, the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and retail price information of required and recommended college textbooks and supplemental materials for each course listed in the institution’s course schedule used for preregistration and registration purposes.”
Senate Bill 1359 - Zero Cost Course Materials
As of Jan. 1, 2018, the CSU must also comply with SB 1359, which requires that campuses “clearly highlight… on the online campus course schedule, the courses that exclusively use digital materials that are free of charge to students and may have a low-cost option for print versions.” This includes courses that use library books or other course materials that provide free access to all students. For more information on SB 1359, please visit the California Legislative Information site.
Textbooks, Financial Aid, and Accessibility
Faculty members may not know that our campus’ ability to provide federal financial aid to our students is dependent on a wide range of requirements, including the availability of textbook information within the course schedule. Raising awareness of this requirement will help faculty understand why they are being asked to submit their book requests in a timely manner. Furthermore, students with disabilities benefit from having sufficient time to locate alternative formats, if needed. This is in line with the CSU Accessible Technology Initiative, which aims to “create a culture of
access for an inclusive learning and working environment.”
Textbook Selections through Collect
Our departments use an online system called Collect to submit course material selections to Titan Shops. Collect is user-friendly, and it allows us to track course sections that use no cost materials. Offering single sign-on with campus credentials, Collect also allows users to view affordability scores on course materials, readopt materials from previous terms, and search popular
books based on course topics.
Choosing Affordable Course Materials
There are a number of options for faculty to learn more about affordable course materials:
- Explore the California Open Online Library for Education (COOL4Ed) to view free and openetextbooks selected and reviewed by faculty in the CSU, UC and CCC, as well as case studies
showcasing faculty using free and open etextbooks.
- Search the Affordable Learning Solutions website to choose and providemore-affordable, quality educational content.
- Use CSU MERLOT to discover more than 5,000 free and open textbooks and more than78,000 free course materials.
- Learn more about Cal State Fullerton’s participation in the OpenStax Institutional Partnership Program to encourage the use of free textbooks and other open educational resources (OER)
on campus.
- Developed by IT and Titan Shops, Titan Direct Access gives students free digital access to select course materials for the first two weeks of class. Students wishing to retain access can purchase the content at significantly reduced prices. Additional content is added eachterm.
Dates and Deadlines
Please be sure to meet your department’s course material selection deadline to ensure that your department chair/coordinator can submit your selections via Collect by the campus deadlines which are provided each year or semester. Check with your department chair/coordinator for specific details.
- Summer and Fall – Due during Spring semester
- Winter and Spring – Due during Fall semester
Thank you for your efforts to ensure that Cal State Fullerton remains a leader in expanding access to an affordable, high-quality education for our diverse students.
