The University of Toledo has adopted a new program that will automatically provide students with lower cost, digital course materials when they enroll in a number of specific courses.
The new initiative, called the Inclusive Access Program, is a model in which a fee for the course materials is added to the tuition when he or she registers for the course.
“UT continues to work on strategies to reduce textbook costs for our students,” Provost Andrew Hsu said. “This program provides students significant cost savings over the bookstore retail prices and at the same time is a convenience to automatically connect them with the required materials so they have it on the first day of class and are ready to learn.”
The cost savings for the course materials provided through the program range from a few dollars to as much as $300 for a single textbook.
The program is being launched for fall 2018 with 14 high enrollment courses in the College of Business and Innovation and College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. It had previously been tested in a mathematics course.
The Board of Trustees approved the inclusive access model course fees at its meeting on Monday.
Trustees also approved an honorary degree for Charles “Chuck” Ealey, who will be the commencement speaker for the spring 2018 ceremony Saturday, May 5. Ealey, who received a bachelor’s degree in business economics from UT in 1972, broke numerous records as a standout football player leading the Rockets to three Mid-American Conference Championships. His perfect 35-0 NCAA record still stands after more than four decades.
Ealey played in the Canadian Football League after graduation and had a successful career as a financial planner. The Chuck Ealey Foundation, which he created in 2007, continues to support youth mentoring programs and high school awards programs that encourage people to embrace their undefeated spirit.
Also approved by trustees was a 2 percent increase in housing and meal plan rates for students who are not part of the incoming class under the Toledo Tuition Guarantee program. The changes in housing fees represent an increase of up to $96 per semester, depending on the residence hall, and up to $42 per semester in increased dining costs, according to the meal plan selected. The new fees, which will begin fall 2018, cover increasing costs of operations while keeping the additional costs for students at less than $10 per week.
Two departments in the College of Nursing are being renamed to better group faculty according to shared content expertise to enhance collaboration opportunities. The Department of Nursing Science will be changed to the Department of Maternal, Pediatric and Mental Health, and the Department of Advanced Population Health will be the Department of Adult, Family and Population Health.
