Many institutions are exploring a revolutionary course materials model: Equitable Access (EA). What is EA? EA is a program that provides every student day-one access to all required learning materials, for one flat rate.
Evolve the course materials purchase process by making costs predictable, improving convenience, and expanding access for all students, no matter their major.
EA Evens the Playing Field
Predictability
Regardless of program or major, each student has one predictable price for all course materials.
Cost
Students pay a lower rate for all materials compared to traditional market prices.
Access
Day-one access to course materials for all students, in all courses.
Convenience
The LMS becomes the hub for all course material delivery, eliminating the need to source from multiple vendors.
Enhance the Campus Experience with EA
Equitable Access provides day-one access to course materials for all students, at one predictable flat rate. EA programs level the playing field by offering one low price, regardless of the student’s major. Benefits of EA extend campus-wide:
Students have a flat rate for their course materials and a simplified, convenient delivery experience.
The campus store transforms the course materials purchasing experience for students, reducing administrative overhead, and helping to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the institution.
Faculty maintain academic freedom and empower students to be ready and prepared to learn on the first day of class.
Administrators and key campus leaders implement a program that equips the entire institution for success from day one.
Establishing a Successful Equitable Program
Every campus is unique, so designing an EA program that works for your students and institution is critical. While the overall concept of EA remains the same, campus stakeholders—such as the campus store and administration—should have control over program structure, ensuring it meets the needs of your community.
Institutional and campus store leaders will:
Establish how the flat rate will be structured and the amount charged per term.
Determine which students will be included in the program (EA is designed so that all undergraduate students can participate).
Identify adoptions with digital availability to understand the percentage of adoptions that can be included.
From students and instructors to your LMS team and publishers—EA aligns efforts to provide a superior student experience, maintain academic freedom, and simplify course materials access.
Socializing Equitable Access at Your Institution
It often takes time for communities to embrace new concepts, and new models need to be socialized on campus. Students and instructors may not be familiar with EA or may not understand the goals of the program. Developing a strategic plan to educate and inform is an important step in socializing and implementing an EA program at your institution.
Our EA Success Toolkit provides you with an implementation checklist, timeline, and strategic framework to help build momentum and prepare for launch.
Choosing the Right Partner
Our team is here to support your Equitable Access journey and ensure your EA program utilizes the most advanced technology to create a superior campus experience. With VerbaOne, VitalSource’s revolutionary digital-first Equitable Access program, your store and institution can:
Price your program right from the start and make informed decisions with actionable insights and administration-ready reports.
Give instructors an adoption experience they’ll love and get adoptions back in record time.
Conveniently source all digital course materials through VitalSource.
Ensure every student has access to every required course material, digital or print, by day one.
Equitable Access Trailblazers
Join the trailblazers at institutions like yours, providing students with the most convenient way to access course materials by the first day of class.
"I would describe Equitable Access as a revolutionary course materials distribution model."
- Aaron Ochoa, Director, UC Davis
"Our experience working with VitalSource has been great. Everybody is very accessible. We have always had a great experience and turnaround with getting our material."
- Pam Walker, Director of the Appalachian State Bookstore
"We've had a fantastic relationship with VitalSource…it was a great thing to sit down and say, ‘Let's brainstorm this together. Let's figure out how we're going to do this together.’"
- Aaron Ochoa, Director, UC Davis Campus Stores
"The feedback that we're getting from students is really how easy [Equitable Access] is and how reassuring it is."
- Jason Lorgan, Executive Director, Student Affairs, UC Davis
"It was nice to feel like the store was a partner of the students."
- Brian Young, Academic Materials Manager, Cornell University
