The University of Idaho Argonaut

The University of Idaho community can attend open forums this week to meet the three vendors who submitted proposals to take over management of the UI Bookstore.
The three companies are Barnes & Noble, Follett Higher Education Group and Validis Resources, Division of Nebraska Book Company. The bookstore is currently owned and run by the university.

The open forums are unusual for the request for proposal process, said Michael Jolly, assistant vice president for auxiliary services.
“We thought it was a great thing for them to be able to answer any questions students, staff and faculty might have about their company,” Jolly said.
 Those involved hope the bookstore’s fate will be determined before the end of the school year, Jolly said.

“I hope we have enough time,” he said. “It really depends on how fast we can go through with the processes. We are doing everything we can.”
The rush is largely because of concerns from ASUI.

“The Division of Finance and Administration have in the past made substantial policy changing decisions that have a great affect on students during the time when students are not on campus,” said senior Justin Doble, ASUI presidential policy adviser. “For the student body it doesn’t seem conducive to how the administration should run. The goal of higher education is to serve students because without students there is not a need for higher education.”
The Senate passed a resolution earlier this semester in reaction to the decision to outsource the bookstore.

“To the best of my knowledge, ASUI originally found out about the bookstore controversy through the Argonaut,” Doble said. “It came as a shock as it was affecting such a majority of the students.”

Doble wrote the petition for the ASUI Senate to ensure that as student representatives, ASUI would have a role in the bookstore selection, Doble said.
“We are very well aware of the ASUI resolution of the bookstore and are trying to meet as many of the criteria as we possibly can,” Jolly said.
Open dialogue between ASUI and the Division of Finance and Administration followed the events, Doble said.

If a new vendor is selected, the bookstore will go through a transition period over the summer and will be ready for a fall semester opening. It is a possibility none of the vendors will be selected.

“At this point nothing is off the table,” Jolly said. “If it is the recommendation of the committee that none meet our satisfaction and it looks like our old bookstore and its operation is sufficient that is what will be recommended.”

The committee will look at what the vendors can do for the university and students.
“We are looking at what we can do to improve the services of what is already a great bookstore,” he said.

Jolly said he is looking for a vendor who has great customer service, is very conscious of pricing in the academic community and has accessibility for students, such as a Web site, can sell more than books and are able to show a profit.  

Independent vendors can offer changes such as coffee, a larger selection of non-scholastic reading, a new building or marketing campaigns, Doble said.
“Clearly if the university isn’t going to have the upkeep the store will save money,” he said.

But a change in bookstore management will have a great affect on students. One large concern is increased book prices.
“Outsourcers allow higher buying power and in theory they should have cheaper prices,” Doble said. “But since they outsource they have no incentive to keep the prices low other than business.”

Increased prices happened at Washington State University when they outsourced their bookstore, Doble said.
It can also affect the employment, depending on the proposals.
One main issue is seeing how the vendors respond to the personnel in the bookstore, Jolly said.

“It is incredibly important to us to keep and maintain our employees at the bookstore,” he said. “That is a primary concern of ours.”
A search committee composed of two people from auxiliary services, a representative from staff affairs and Doble, serving as the student representative, reviewed the lengthy proposals and will meet with the responders, Jolly said. The current bookstore director is also a non-voting member of the committee.

“We are reviewing the proposal and deciding which is the most beneficial and incorporates best with the University of Idaho,” Doble said. 
The committee will present their recommendation to different groups on campus to seek feedback. Then they will present all the data and responses to President Tim White and Provost Doug Baker, who will make the final decision.

Students can contact ASUI to communicate their feelings or attitudes in a positive, constructive manner, he said. 

“One of the common misperceptions at this point is that we decision has already been made and that is totally incorrect,” Jolly said. “We would not be putting ourselves through a task such as this if the decision was already made.”