Wolverine Smart Books – Course Material

1. What is Wolverine Smart Books?
    Essex County College’s course material program, Wolverine Smart Books, is a virtual course material delivery program administered through  Akademos by VitalSource. It provides all students with all their required course materials on the first day of class at one affordable price.  
2. How is this program beneficial to all students?
    The cost of course materials can deprive access to success. 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 total number of credits for a course. By doing so, it aims to reduce financial disparity and ensure that all students, regardless of their field of study, have access to the educational resources they need to succeed.   
3. Where can I find one list with all my course materials for the term/semester?
   Visit the website at  ecc.vitalsource.com and log into the website with your ECC single sign-on account. Your “My Courses” page will appear with a list of all the courses that you are registered for plus all the course materials that you will receive.  
4. Where can I find the course material for a particular course?
   The course material for any course can be found in the Moodle room of that course. For example, if you are enrolled in BIO_123, you will find only the materials for BIO_123 in that course’s Moodle room. 

5. Is this a campus-wide program?
   Yes, all students at Essex County College are included in this program.
    
6. Can a more expensive major have a separate cost per credit hour charge?
   No, the cost per credit hour remains the same for every major at Essex County College. 
7. Does this cover all terms?
   Yes, all Fall, Spring, Summer, and Winter term courses are included in the program.
    
8. Can I choose not to participate and order books from someplace else?
   Yes. You can choose to opt out if you like, though we strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of this program because it offers discounted course materials with the advantage of being ready for your classes on the first day. 
9. How do I opt out of the program?
   To opt out, visitecc.vitalsource.com and log in with your ECC single sign on account, then navigate to the “My Courses” page. This page will list the opt-out date. 

You can also find the opt out dates by visiting the bursar website https://www.essex.edu/course-material-fee-opt-out/ 

When you opt out of one course material, you automatically opt out of the program for the semester. You will be responsible for obtaining your own course materials for the semester.  

10. Can I change my mind to opt out?
    Yes, you have until the opt-out date https://www.essex.edu/course-material-fee-opt-out/  (2 weeks after the term begins) to decide whether to participate. We strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of this program because it offers discounted course materials with the advantage of being ready for your classes on the first day. 
11. Do I have to verify my course material before it is delivered?
    No, the bookstore will send a confirmation email so that you know what materials you will be receiving virtually, but you do not need to take any action to ensure the materials are delivered to your Moodle room.  
12.  Are the course materials associated with my courses physical or digital?
     This program provides all digital texts for course materials. You can log into your Moodle room or bookstore account and review your e-Library to see what items you will have access to.  
13. Can I get a physical book instead?
    The program provides digital-only text. Students have the option to purchase a print textbook. If you wish to buy physical texts, you can select them and check out as you would on any other e-commerce website. Pay with credit, debit, PayPal, Google Pay, or Apple Pay. Physical textbooks you buy will be delivered to your home. 
14. Can I buy other things on the bookstore website?
    No. The bookstore currently sells only books. 

1. 1. 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. Your course material is available in the Moodle room for each course.  

   Depending on the type of item, materials will be available through a publisher website, or through VitalSource. If you ever need a reminder about what digital course materials you should have access to, visit “My Library” in ecc.vitalsource.com to see a master list. 

2. 2. Who do I contact if I have additional questions about my course materials?
      Contact the bookstore at ecc.vitalsource.com/help 
   3. It’s the first day of class and I don’t see the digital materials in my Moodle class or my bookstore My Library account.
      If you enrolled in a course after the first day of class, your course material will be available to you soon. You can also contact the ecc.vitalsource.com/help for a status update or to review your account in case there is a discrepancy. 
   4. Are the digital items fully accessible?
      VitalSource serves as the primary platform through which the bookstore provides digital course materials. The platform is designed to be fully accessible and supports a wide range of accessibility features. Students requiring specific accommodation are encouraged to contact the Essex County College Office of Disability Services, which will review and address accommodation requests on an individual basis. 

1. How much does this cost?
   Students will be assessed a $23.00 per credit hour course materials fee to cover digital materials for each course, regardless of how much each individual textbook costs.  
2. How is payment processed?
   Charges are included in your tuition account as course material (CMAT) fee. 
3. What happens if I drop a class?
   A. Refunds will be processed in accordance with existing deadlines and procedures through the Essex County College’s registrar’s office. 

1. How much does this cost?
   Students will be assessed a $23.00 per credit hour course materials fee to cover digital materials for each course, regardless of how much each individual textbook costs.  
2. How is payment processed?
   Charges are included in your tuition account as course material (CMAT) fee. 
3. What happens if I drop a class?
   A. Refunds will be processed in accordance with existing deadlines and procedures through the Essex County College’s registrar’s office. 

1. What happens if I’m missing or received the wrong course material?
   Contact ecc.vitalsource.com/help for assistance. Make sure to include your email, course name, course section, and the title or ISBN of the missing item.

1. What is Wolverine Smart Books, and what is Total/Equitable Access?
   A. Wolverine Smart Books, 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 the materials they need to succeed in class. The cost of the materials is administered through Essex County College, and the College pays Akademos a fee for their services and software.
2. What are the benefits of this program?
   A. Every student receives their digital course materials 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, Essex County College has complete control over the costs of the program. There is an adoption cost insight report, which can become the cornerstone of your Essex Essex County College’s course materials adoption strategy. From there, administrators can analyze adoption patterns at the course, instructor, department, or campus level.

3. Who is participating in this program?
   A. All students are included in this program.
4. Can students opt out? If yes, how?
   A. Yes. Students can choose to opt out if they like, though we strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of this program because it offers discounted course materials with the advantage of students being ready for their classes on the first day.
5. What course materials are included in the program?
   A. Akademos sources both physical and digital texts. However, this program provides all digital texts for course materials.
6. How much does this cost?
   A. All students pay a $23.00 per credit hour fee that covers all required course materials, regardless of how much each textbook costs. Akademos sells all materials to the institution at cost and charges a service fee, allowing us to recommend the adoption of lower-cost subscriptions and OER materials that can help lower the cost to students. The cost is included in tuition as the CMAT fee.

1. How do I adopt course materials?
   A. Adoption is done by Division Chairpersons.
2. What kinds of materials can I request for my course?
   A. Faculty have academic freedom and can select digital materials they feel are best for their class in consultation with the course coordinator. Digital materials 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.
3. When are course materials adoptions due?
   A. Adoptions are due 90 days before the start of each term. For Akademos to deliver all 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 (e-book vs bundle or physical request), or suggest alternative materials such as OER, which covers the same content with lower price points.
4. I want my students to have physical course materials. Can I indicate that?
   A. No. The program is for digital items only. The library may have a print copy in the Reserve section of the library. Students requiring specific accommodation are encouraged to contact the Essex County College Office of Disability Services, which will review and address accommodation requests on an individual basis.
5. I have created my own course materials in the past. How should I proceed?
   A. If you have created materials that include selections of traditional texts, library resources, PowerPoint slides, etc., you can submit those through adoption and will be provided as a course pack to students.
6. My class doesn’t use textbooks/I use OER materials. Do students still have to pay?
   A. Yes, this program includes all courses in a term and is not offered on a course-by-course basis. Provide the OER links for adoption so bookstore staff can provide a full course list to students.
7. If I want to change the text I adopted, what should I do?
   A. 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 course coordinator or Division Chairperson, who will contact the Virtual Store Manager as soon as possible.
8. Visit the Faculty & Admin Resources Page for more information
   A. https://success.vitalsource.com/hc/en-us/categories/27611362690839-Akademos-by-VitalSource 

1. How do students access digital materials through this program?
   A. All digital course material access information will be emailed to students on or before the first day of class. Course material is available in the Moodle room for each course. Depending on the type of item, students may access the materials directly through their Moodle room, through a publisher website, or through VitalSource.
2. How do students receive their physical materials?
   A. This is a digital-only program. Students requiring specific accommodation are encouraged to contact the Essex County College Office of Disability Services, which will review and address accommodation requests on an individual basis.

Students who purchase physical materials on their own will receive them at the delivery address they provided at checkout.

3. How do students purchase course materials if they choose to opt out of the program?
   A. Students will be responsible for obtaining their course materials on their own if they decide not to participate in the program. They will have the option to order some or all of their course materials through ecc.vitalsource.com with standard payment options (credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal). Please note that Essex County College will NOT have course materials for sale on campus.

1. Where should I send my students if they need help?
   A. Students should visit ecc.vitalsource.com/help

Through that page, students can use dynamic help tools to get answers to their questions, or they can access the support phone number or bookstore email address.

2. Who do I contact if I am having trouble with the program?
   A. Please contact your Virtual Store Manager through the Risk Status

RED: 

• A red status indicates that we have neither physical inventory nor a digital match of the current ISBN, and so, as the adoption currently stands, we will not be able to source.  
  • For adoptions with a risk status of red and flagged as Out of Print or as having a New Edition, we will not be able to fulfill the order unless the adoption is updated 

BLUE:

• A blue status indicates that the title is available either physically, digitally, or both, and while our team will review, we do not believe there will be an issue procuring and delivering inventory. That said, when an item is flagged as either out of print or as having a new edition, our team will send a single email to the adopter letting them know it could be challenging to procure in future terms and these will be hidden.

New Pivot Table highlighting Red ISBNs 

This pivot table to in place to help you easily see how many individual titles are impacted. Because a title could be adopted across multiple sections or courses, this table allows you to quickly see which adoptions are affecting multiple courses versus just a single course or two. We hope this provides you with a quick high-level understanding of where the at-risk titles stand.

3. Where do I go if I’m having trouble setting up publisher courseware (Cengage, Pearson, McGraw Hill, etc.)
   A. 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.