A collaboration between Follett Higher Education and University of Bridgeport (UB) has helped students save more than $1.9 million on textbooks and course materials over the last year. In summer 2023, UB partnered with Follett to manage its bookstore and launch a new Follett Access program that provides students with all their required course materials, textbooks, and supplies for free, with no additional increase in tuition or fees.
“As we embark on another academic year, UB is proud to celebrate the success of our partnership with Follett Higher Education in significantly reducing costs for our students,” said UB President Danielle Wilken. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to accessibility and affordability in higher education, ensuring that financial considerations do not hinder our students’ academic pursuits. We look forward to continuing this initiative and further enhancing the educational experience for all members of our university community.”
As the largest campus bookstore operator in North America, Follett Higher Education serves more than six million college students at over 1,000 campus retail stores. The transition to Follett Access provides UB students with free course materials and frictionless access to digital learning resources that help enhance academic success campus-wide and drive down college costs for students. “What makes the Access model so significant is not only the way it targets convenience and affordability, but how it genuinely impacts a student’s overall sense of well-being, preparedness, and confidence in the classroom,” said Ryan Petersen, Follett Higher Education President. “We’re excited to partner with University of Bridgeport to bring their program to life and help make a difference in their students’ success.”
Additionally, Follett’s management of the on-campus brick-and-mortar bookstore has transformed the store into a central hub for UB gear in its new location on the ground floor of the campus’ Wahlstrom Library. “At UB, we have a keen awareness of access, affordability, and equity for our students,” said William Guerrero, UB’s Vice President for Finance and Chief Finance Officer. “Not only have we worked hard to control tuition with no tuition increases in the past three years, but Follett Access also provides free course materials to our students, so they do not have to factor these costs into their academic success from day one.”
As students prepare to return to campus for the 2024-25 school year, UB and Follett will continue to provide free course materials with the goal of removing barriers to access, improving affordability, and raising academic outcomes for more students.
For more information, visit bridgeport.edu/bookstore.
Effective immediately, all students at American Public University and American Military University have access to professional coaching at no cost.
Students interested in this service can learn more at CareerLink (under the Resources tab), or in the Student Success Center from within the ecampus site.
This expansion in services to include all students comes as part of an agreement between American Public University System (APUS) and LifeRamp, which provides integrated coaching and mentoring services that are certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). On their first day of taking a class, all APUS students can gain access to LifeRamp’s Launch 360° coaching service in four languages (English, Spanish, French and Portuguese). Previously, these services were only available to APUS students once they neared program completion.
“We support our students at every step of the way, and we’re proud to offer professional and executive coaching combined with a range of other useful services that can be instrumental in their personal and professional development,” said Erika Orris, Senior Vice President, Operations, APUS. “Our services and programs are committed to helping both students and alumni accomplish their academic and personal goals.”
“We are excited to expand our partnership to include all AMU and APU students,” said LifeRamp Founder and CEO Michael Huckaby. “At LifeRamp, we believe everyone deserves a personal life and career coach to help them design a life of choice, not chance.”
LifeRamp provides personalized, 1-1 coach-guided experiences that include strength assessment, goal planning, guidance on developing and improving skills, plus tools and methods for tracking progress. The coaching is designed to guide participants with a roadmap to overcome obstacles, plus help them achieve more meaningful lives and successful careers.
This is the latest enhancement to the University’s student services, which include supplemental, professional, and executive coaching services through certified vendors and dedicated APUS staff members. APUS also offers a range of other career services, many of which are currently offered at no cost to students and alumni. This includes access to:
- An AI-powered resume building platform,
- An online job board built for our students and alums,
- Virtual career fairs and events,
- Resume reviews, career guides, and career exploration.
For more info on the University’s career services, visit: https://www.apu.apus.edu/career-services/.
Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider, today announced that the University of South Wales (USW) will implement Banner, part of the Ellucian SaaS Platform. An existing Ellucian customer for more than 20 years, USW will modernize its technology operations and enhance the overall student experience with this robust Student Information System, joining more than 2,000 institutions leveraging the Ellucian SaaS Platform to more efficiently scale resources and bolster student outcomes.
Implementation of the Ellucian SaaS Platform will underpin the university’s 2030 vision to maximize positive impacts for students, partners, and communities through effective recruitment, conversion, and retention strategies. The new platform will streamline business processes, increase operational and resource efficiency, and provide a modern user interface with enhanced functionality for students and staff. The platform drives engagement throughout the entire learner lifecycle, ensuring that students can access all information that they need in one place, without multiple logins. University administrators will be able to make timely, data-driven decisions with data integrated across departments.
“We are excited to deepen our collaboration with the University of South Wales,” said Laura Ipsen, President and CEO of Ellucian. “The Ellucian SaaS Platform perfectly complements USW’s innovative spirit and dedication to excellence. With our technology, USW can enhance their exceptional student experience and achieve even greater educational outcomes.”
Mark Milton, Chief Operating Officer at USW, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Ellucian for our Student Journey Program. This work will help to transform and futureproof the student journey at USW, optimize and personalize the student and staff experience, and ensure we secure a fit for the future, sustainable solution which will help the University to change lives and our world for the better.”
For more information on Ellucian solutions, visit: https://www.ellucian.com/emea-ap/solutions/all-products (for Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific) or https://www.ellucian.com/solutions/all-products
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