With the start of a new semester, many MTSU students experienced confusion with unexpected online textbook fees that appeared on MTSU billing statements as “eBook Course Materials Fee.”
The eBooks were listed under the “First Day” Barnes & Noble Colleges program. Books should be available in their respective classes under the “Course Materials” tab. Students are automatically opted-in to these course materials, but an opt-out button is available.
Student Government Association Vice President RJ Ware detailed the problems students like himself faced with textbook fees last semester.
“I think there was two scenarios going on, from what I’ve heard,” Ware said. “You would already buy the book on your own, and then they would be charged onto your account in addition. And then there would be classes like mine, where we just use open resources for all of our readings.”
In both scenarios, some professors were even unaware that their students were being charged for online textbooks.
“Someone told the professor at the beginning of class,” Ware said. “She didn’t know about it.”
When the Student Government Association met with Faculty President Suzanne Sutherland last semester, they discussed this issue in detail. The problems with the First Day system spanned across several departments.
“I had no idea it was even an issue in other departments and other majors,” Ware said. “I’m glad that it got to their attention…She said that the bookstore had already been alerted. They already knew it was an issue.”
However, most of last semester’s issues seem to be resolved. Zach Lebarts, MTSU’s Assistant Vice President of Admin and Business Services, explained some of the problems via e-mail. For example, if a professor assigned a book to Section 001 of a course one semester, the book would be automatically applied to Section 001 of the same course the next semester, even with a different professor.
Courses had also been added to First Day after the deadline, meaning that students who had already paid their balances were seeing new charges.
“All professors who had opted-in to First Day were contacted to confirm their interest in staying in the First Day program or opting out,” Lebarts said. “In addition, MTSU now requires professors to opt their courses into First Day each semester by a specific deadline.”
He also acknowledged that this process can be confusing.
“The second piece [of the First Day cleanup process] is continuing to educate faculty and staff about the program and ensuring staff [have] a firm understanding of the process and how to best support the University,” Lebarts said.
The major problem remaining is the lack of information available to students and professors alike. Although professors are now able to control what textbooks their students are charged for, and the bookstore is making an effort to educate faculty and staff on the program, students are not given the option to choose where to shop for their books. Although the opt-out is available, many students end up paying for the books before classes begin.
“I would just be curious to know why the bookstore has the ability to charge things to your account without direct knowledge of you buying your book,” Ware said. “They’re even making charges for classes that don’t have an assigned textbook.”
