Contact Information
Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building 204
118 College Drive #5002
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
Phone: 601.266.5002
FAQs For Faculty
- Two reasons: First, we must comply with federal law [P.L.11.315 Higher Education Authority Act (HEOA)], which requires that instructors report ISBN numbers of textbooks and identify other course materials – both required and supplemental – to be used in each course listed in the Class Schedule Guide by the time students register for the course. The adoption reporting deadlines (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring) are based on when our students start registering for the upcoming semester. The intent of HEAO is to reduce textbook costs by giving students enough time to comparison shop for potentially lower cost options. Second, the “early” adoption date for Fall enables the university-affiliated bookstore (Barnes and Noble) to give students back as much money as possible during the May buy-back, which is their primary source for used books. The bookstore also starts ordering the books that they don’t think they will gain from the buy-back in Spring from the used book companies. The used book market is very competitive, so they need to source textbook adoptions as early as possible to provide our students with more used books, which are cost less than new books. (6.0 Textbook Adoption Deadlines)
- No. Instructors must report ISBN numbers of textbooks and identify other course materials – both required and supplemental – to be used in each course by the time students register for the course. (6.0 Textbook Adoption Deadlines; 7.0 Procedural Guidelines)
- Instructors may not place orders for their textbooks/course materials directly with the university-affiliated bookstore (Barnes and Noble). Instructors report all textbook and course materials to the department/school textbook liaison assigned for entering this information into SOAR. All textbooks and course materials are ordered by the university-affiliated bookstore, based on the entries in SOAR. The bookstore discloses textbook/course material information on their website, as required by federal law. Students may purchase textbooks/course materials from any source they choose. (7.0 Procedural Guidelines; 17.0 Student Textbook and Course Materials Purchases)
- Instructors may not require students to purchase textbooks/course materials from a specific source, but they can inform students about alternate sources. Students access information about the textbook/course materials on the university-affiliated bookstore website, but they may purchase textbooks/course materials from any source they choose. (7.0 Procedural Guidelines; 17.0 Student Textbook and Course Materials Purchases)
- Unit leaders must report all textbooks and course materials – both required and supplemental – through the university-affiliated bookstore (Barnes and Noble) by the adoption deadline (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring). This includes courses and sections without an identified instructor. If the new instructor wants to use textbooks/course materials other than those reported by the adoption deadline, then an exception request must be made, but no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester in question. (7.2 Procedural Guidelines; 10.0 Multiple Sections and Exception Deadlines)
- We have to submit an annual report to IHL that includes the number of courses that did not comply with HEOA by the course adoption deadlines (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring). There has to be some information reported in SOAR for each course offered at Southern Miss, or it may appear that instructor did not submit the required information on time. Therefore, a “No Course Material Required for Class” statement must be entered into SOAR for all courses for which students do not have to purchase any textbook/course materials. (8.0 Course Type)
- Yes. Every course offered at Southern Miss, regardless of method of delivery or location of the class, must have textbook/course materials information reported to IHL. If no course materials are required for a course or section, then “No Course Materials Required for Class” must be reported. (8.0 Course Type)
- Both federal law HEOA and IHL Textbook Policy strongly encourage departments/schools that teach multiple sections of the same course in any semester to select common required textbooks/course materials for all students within the various sections. This benefits students who may wish to change their schedule from one section to another, since they would not have to buy different textbooks/course materials. Students may or may not be able to get a refund for the unused course materials, depending on where they purchased them. However, requests for an exception from the selection of common required textbooks/course materials for multiple sections can be made. Such requests must be approved by the chair/director, dean, and Provost prior to the final textbook adoption deadline for the semester in question (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring). (10.0 Multiple Sections and Exception Deadlines)
- Instructors may not require students to purchase textbooks or other course materials that are different from those they reported by the adoption deadlines (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring) without first seeking and being granted an exception. After reporting the textbook and course material adoptions by the deadline, an instructor who wishes to make any change in textbooks/course materials (substituting, adding, deleting) thereafter must request an exception no later than 30 calendar days prior to the start of the semester in question. Reasonable exceptions may include instances when textbooks/course materials are unavailable, when substantive changes are made in either the course description or the textbook/course materials, or when there is a significant change in the body of knowledge pertinent to the course. (10.0 Multiple Sections and Exception Deadlines)
- Southern Miss is committed to reducing the cost of our students’ textbooks/course materials, for example by giving students enough time to comparison shop. Instructors should carefully consider what they will report as their required and supplemental textbook/course materials prior to the adoption deadlines. Exceptions may not be granted after the adoption reporting deadline just because an instructor failed to do some research about the availability of revised editions or different textbooks/course materials. Reasonable exceptions for changes after the adoption deadline may include instances when textbooks/course materials are unavailable, when substantive changes are made in either the course description or the textbook/course materials, or when there is a significant change in the body of knowledge pertinent to the course. If an instructor is hired after the adoption reporting deadline and wants to use textbooks/course materials other than those reported by the adoption deadline, then an exception request must be made. All exception requests made after the adoption reporting deadline must be made and granted no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester in question. (10.0 Multiple Sections and Exception Deadlines)
- If an exception is approved after the deadline for reporting textbook adoptions (but no later than 30 calendar days before the start of a semester), the department/school must provide evidence that it contacted all enrolled students via email within 3 working days informing them about the change in course materials. The department/school must also contact ODA about the change if any students enrolled in the course had requested assistance with the original requested adoption in order to have full access to the course materials by the beginning of the semester. The department/school must offer assistance to students who already purchased the unneeded course materials at the university-affiliate bookstore by telling them the Barnes and Noble return policy. (10.0 Multiple Sections and Exception Deadlines)
- A full refund will be given in the original form of payment if textbooks are returned within the first week of classes (seven days) with original receipt and if the book is in the original condition in which it was purchased. Students who drop a class have thirty days from the first day of class to receive a full refund; they must have the original receipt and proof of drop. http://usm.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBRefundsView?langId=-1&storeId=13556&catalogId=10001
- Textbooks/course materials for courses added after the adoption reporting deadline (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring) are reported in SOAR, sent to the university-affiliated bookstore (Barnes and Noble), and reported to the Provost’s Office after the Registrar’s Office processes the Change of Schedule form. If a new section is added to a course after the adoption deadline and uses the same textbook/course materials as the other sections, no further action is required. However, if the new section would use textbooks/course materials different from those adopted for the other sections of the course, an exception must be requested. (6.0 Textbook Adoption Deadlines; 10.0 Multiple Sections and Exception Deadlines)
- The Textbook Exception Request form is available on the Provost’s Office website: http://www.usm.edu/provost/textbook-adoption. There are two forms, one for requesting exceptions prior to the adoption reporting deadline (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring) and one for LATE exception requests (made after the adoption deadlines, but no later than 30 calendar days prior to the beginning of the semester in questions. (10.0 Multiple Sections and Exception Deadlines)
- Both federal law HEOA and IHL textbook policy have guidelines for a minimum three-year adoption period for lower level courses, but both permit reasonable exceptions. The three-year minimum adoption benefits students because there are more used – and therefore more lower cost – textbooks/course materials available for a longer period of time. An exception to the minimum three-year adoption must be approved by the chair/director, dean, and Provost prior to the final textbook adoption deadline for the semester in question (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring). (11.0 Minimum Adoption Period)
- Southern Miss is committed to providing equal access for persons with disabilities. All textbooks/course materials must be accessible, including software programs, Web pages, multimedia (videos and audio files), and any other required or supplemental materials used in courses. Growing reliance on the internet, multimedia, and other information technologies can create difficulties for persons with disabilities, many of whom may access traditional information sources in alternative manners. For example, some with visual impairments may use screen readers or audio tracks to access print media. Persons with hearing impairments may depend on closed captioning to follow dialogues in movies or presentations. Others may have difficulty using a mouse or submitting responses in a timely manner. With the variety of media frequently used in today’s classes, considerations must be given to access for persons with disabilities. For more information, visit www.usm.edu/oda. If you have questions, please contact the Office for Disability Accommodations at 601.266.5024. Persons with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at 1.800.582.2233 (TTY) or email Suzy Hebert at suzanne.hebert@usm.edu.
