Textbooks & Inclusive Access: UTSA & HB 1027

Defines inclusive access and summarizes HB 1027 transparency compliance.

Progress to Date

Findings

  • UTSA does not have any courses using the inclusive access textbook sales model.   
  • Additional College and Course Fees Incidental Charges is a comprehensive list of all UTSA student fees.
    • Since UTSA has not adopted inclusive access, there is no fee, and no charges are currently assessed for it. 
    • UTSA and UT System have a rigorous approval process for implementing new course fees. 

While several HB 1027 action items speak only to institutions that have adopted the inclusive access textbooks sales model, there are many HB 1027 action items that are independent of the inclusive access sales model that UTSA has already met, below, demonstrating good-faith compliance.Click Action Items to view compliance to date for each specific HB 1027 action item.

Work Completed

Simple Syllabus Language

Open Educational Resources (OER Language for all Syllabi)

OER are free textbooks that are either in the public domain or Creative Commons licensed for free use, reuse, modification, and sharing.” OpenStax and Open Textbook Library are examples. OER support student success because they are:

  •     Free   
  •     Available on Class Day One
  •     Easily and continuously accessible    
  •     UTSA Libraries’ Adopt a Free Textbook grant program has awarded 138 OER grants to faculty, saving $10 million for UTSA students.  
  •     Apply the Free and Low Cost Textbook filters, below, to find these courses during registration.

Learn more at Report Affordable Textbooks: Transparency for Roadrunners. 

Free And Low Cost Textbook Filters in UTSA Class Schedules
Filter Helps Students Find
Free Textbooks Courses with total learning materials cost of zero that are Creative Commons licensed. Ensures UTSA's compliance with TEC 51.542.
Low Cost Textbooks Courses with total learning materials cost of $40 or less.
Adopt a Free Textbook (For Syllabi of Grant Awarded Courses Only)

This course is part of UTSA Libraries' Adopt a Free Textbook program, a collaboration between your professor and the library to encourage faculty adoption of free textbooks into UTSA courses. Open educational resources (OER) are textbooks and learning materials that are available at no cost to students, accessible from mobile devices, and available from class day one. Research has shown that OER can improve student engagement and course outcomes. 

UTSA has met all action items related to HB 1027, below, with the exception of those in orange font. These items cannot be met because UTSA does not have an inclusive access program.

An act relating to the disclosure of certain information regarding course materials by public institutions of higher education.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas:

Section 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 51.4521 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.4521. Public institutions: Dissemination of course schedule and list of required and recommended course materials. (a) In this section: (1) "Course material" means a textbook, supplemental material, or open educational resource. (2) "Institution of higher education," notwithstanding Section 51.451, has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. (b) Not later than the 30th day before the first day that classes are conducted for each semester or academic term, each institution of higher education shall:

Action Item Legislative Text/Specific Requirement Compliant/Pending Solution/Next Steps
A (1) compile a course schedule indicating each course offered by the institution for the semester or term to postsecondary students; Compliant Self Service Banner
B (2) with respect to each course, include with the schedule, or provide in a prominent location in the schedule a link to an Internet website, such as the Internet website of a college bookstore, that contains, a list of the required and recommended course materials that specifies, to the extent practicable, the following information for each course material, as applicable: Compliant In Self Service Banner 9, each section of the course schedule has a dialogue box in which a tab listed as “Bookstore Links” specifically directs students to a listing of the materials required for the course section.
B1 (A) the retail price Compliant "Bookstore Links" tab
B2 (B) the author Compliant "Bookstore Links" tab
B3 (C) the publisher or provider Compliant "Bookstore Links" tab
B4 (D) the most recent copyright date Compliant "Bookstore Links" tab
B5 (E) the International Standard Book Number assigned, if any; Compliant "Bookstore Links" tab
B6 (F) whether the course materials is an open educational resource; and Compliant Free Textbook filter in class schedules.
B7 (G) any associated fee or charge, such as a technology cost, library use cost, or printing or publication fee; Compliant "Fees" tab of each section on course schedule.
C (3) in a prominent location in the schedule, state or provide an Internet website link to    
C1 (A) the full amount of any fee or charge for course materials assessed by the institution or another entity under an agreement with the institution, including a statement regarding whether the fee or charge is included in the cost of tuition; Pending Direction from Provost. UTSA does not have an inclusive access program.
C2 (B) if a course material is in a primarily electronic format, the terms under which the publisher or provider collects and uses student data obtained through a student's use of the course material; and Pending Direction from Provost. UTSA does not have an inclusive access program. Publisher privacy statements added to Textbooks and Inclusive Access: UTSA and HB 1027. Language would be added to all UTSA syllabi. Privacy statements would be linked from UTSA One Stop.
C3 (C) any provision that allows the student to opt out of a fee or charge described by Paragraph (A); and Pending UTSA has no inclusive access programs. Follett Access provides opt out via email once a student registers for a class. 
D (4) make information regarding the cost of course materials on the course materials list under Subdivision (2) available to college bookstores and other providers of course materials that serve the students of the institution. Compliant Faculty submit to campus bookstore each semester.
D1 (c) As soon as practicable after the information becomes available, each institution of higher education shall make available specific information regarding any revisions to the institution's course schedule and course materials list. Compliant Bookstore reviews revisions to the course schedule & updates course materials list.
D2 (d) An institution of higher education shall itemize a fee or charge for course materials assessed by the institution or another entity under an agreement with the institution separately from any other fees or charges assessed for a course or course section in the institution's billing to the student. This subsection may not be construed to prohibit an institution of higher education from including the cost of course materials as part of the institution's tuition. Pending UTSA has no inclusive access programs. Follett Access would enable transparency within the class schedules. An IA course fee would be routed through UTSA's and UT System's rigorous course fee approval process. 
D3 (e) Any agreement between an institution of higher education and an entity under which the institution agrees to assess or allows the entity to assess a fee or charge for course materials to students enrolled at the institution is public information under Chapter 552, Government Code. Pending UTSA has no inclusive access programs. Confirmation would be needed from Bookstore & Fiscal Services.
D4 (f) To allow for timely placement of course material orders by students, each institution of higher education shall establish a deadline by which faculty members must submit information to be included in the course schedule and course materials list required by Subsection (b). Compliant Deadlines as established by bookstore:
Fall Term - April 15th
Spring Term - October 15th
Summer Term - March 15th
D5 (g) If an institution of higher education or a college bookstore publishes a course materials list with a course schedule on an Internet website that provides a search function, the institution or bookstore must:    
D5.a (1) ensure that the search function permits a search based on whether a course or section of a course requires or recommends only open educational resources; or Compliant Free Textbook filter in class schedules. 
D5.b (2) provide a searchable list of courses and sections of courses that require or recommend only open educational resources. Pending Free Textbook filter in class schedules. 
D6 (h) If an institution of higher education designates in the institution's course schedule certain courses or sections of courses as having low course material costs or a similar designation, the institution shall, in a prominent location in the schedule, state or provide an Internet website link to the criteria for that designation. Pending

Language revised:

Report Affordable Textbooks: Transparency for UTSA Roadrunners

If IA is approved, provide link from OneStop for students.
 
D7 (i) This section may not be construed to affect any authority granted to a faculty member by an institution of higher education to select course materials for courses taught by the faculty member. N/A No Action Required.