FAQs For Liaisons

FAQS FOR TEXTBOOK LIAISONS

We have several classes in our department that are independent study class that do not require a textbook or any other course materials. Do the instructors still have to report textbook data?

    • Yes. Every course offered at Southern Miss, regardless of method of delivery or location of the offering, must have textbook/course materials information reported to IHL. If no course materials are required for a course or section, then the check box “No Course Materials Required for Class” must be marked. (8.0 Course Type)

An instructor in my department wants an exception to one of the requirements of federal law HEAO. What might qualify for an exception to the adoption reporting deadline policy (March 15 for Fall/Summer and October 15 for Spring)?

    • 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)

What is the process for reporting textbooks and course materials if a new course or an additional section is added after the adoption deadline?

    • 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)

What is the difference between the Textbook Assignment Status pending vs. complete?

    • Barnes & Noble will retrieve reports of each course/section offered that has “Textbook Assignment Status of textbook entry complete” from SOAR. If the status is pending, then Barnes & Noble will NOT order the textbook/course materials. The textbook liaisons are responsible for making sure that each section is marked as Complete.