(LAUNCH TBD) CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates

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CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates

Automatically receive all of your required course materials before the first day of class at the most affordable price!

CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates is a new program where all undergraduates will automatically receive their required course materials for all of their courses before the first day of class at the most affordable price available. Students will have free use of course materials- courseware, ebooks, and textbooks- until the Add/Drop date, at which point they will pay a low flat rate of $17.50 per credit unit. No action is required to participate, but it is easy to opt out of the program if desired.

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Faculty FAQ

Go to Opt-Out

Student Frequently Asked Questions

What is CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates?
CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates is a flat fee course materials program providing all students access to their required course materials prior to the start of classes at a discounted flat fee per credit rate.

What are the advantages of CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates?
Since CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates is a campus-wide implementation, the economy of scale allows CSUN undergraduate students access to course materials at a lower and predictable flat rate each semester. It provides convenience and sustainability as digital course materials, when available, are automatically delivered to students through Canvas prior to the start of classes. Similarly, faculty can immediately begin instruction on the first day of class. There is also growing evidence that being able to access course materials on the first day improves grades, increases retention, and may lessen the equity gap.

Are graduate students part of the program?
No, at this time CSUN Ready is only offered to undergraduate students. However, MyCSUNDigitalAccess (MCDA) will continue to be available to graduate students.

Can Financial Aid cover the cost of this program?
Yes, Financial Aid can cover the cost of this program.

Are all course materials going to be digital or are there still print books in this program?
The majority of the course materials will be digital. Print material will be provided if a course material is not available digitally. Course materials included in the program can be print, digital, external website subscriptions, and any material that the faculty submits for adoption and is listed as required course material. Optional course materials, as well as supplies, are not included.

When will I receive my books?
Digital materials will be provided within Canvas prior to the start of classes. You will receive an email with information on how to access your digital course materials.
Print materials will be available for pickup at the CSUN Campus Store prior to the start of classes. You will receive emails from customerservice@follett.com with the subject, "Your order is ready for Pick-up," as your textbooks are pulled and packaged for you. See the Campus Store website for store hours. Please bring a photo ID (state ID or CSUN ID) with you to pick up your books.
To have your print materials shipped directly to you, follow the instructions that will be provided in an email you will be sent.

What if I need audio books due to accessibility accommodations?
All digital materials that are part of the program will be reviewed and will meet any disability requirements.
Students can find more information about requesting alternative media on the Disability Resources and Educational Services website at this link: https://www.csun.edu/dres or by sending an e-mail to dres@csun.edu.

Will it be possible to have my digital materials printed out?
In some cases, depending on publisher licensing, low-cost, loose leaf printed versions of materials may be available for an additional fee. These materials are yours to keep at the end of the semester.

Can I opt-out of the program?
Yes, you can choose to opt out of the program two weeks before class starts through the last day to Add/Drop/Swap date. CSUN Ready: Affordable Course Materials for Undergraduates is implemented throughout all undergraduate courses. Thus, opting-out of the program means choosing to remove access to course materials for all registered courses. For those opting out, you will be responsible for purchasing your course materials at the current retail price from the Campus Store or from a store of your choice. To opt-out, you may click here or follow the link in your student portal. Step-by-step instructions on how to opt-out can be viewed here.

Can I opt-out for just one class?
No, when you opt-out, you will be opting out from receiving course materials for all of your courses through this program.

Can I permanently opt out?
No, if you wish to opt out, you must do so every semester.

I forgot to opt out but I already have my materials, can I get a refund?
If you purchased your materials from the CSUN Campus store, then the store can work with you on obtaining a refund. If you purchased your materials from other vendors, you'll need to reach out to the vendor to see what their return policy is.

What if only one of my classes has no materials? Will I still be charged if I want to stay in the program for my other classes?
CSUN Ready charges are based on the total number of credits a student is enrolled in ($17.50/credit), rather than a course-by-course charge. To determine whether or not the CSUN Ready Program is beneficial for you, you will need to evaluate the cost to purchase your required materials outside of the program and compare that to your CSUN Ready charge ($17.50 x enrolled credits).

I have more questions!

Please feel free to email csunready@csun.edu with any questions not answered by this FAQ.

Faculty Frequently Asked Questions

How do I adopt content?
Content adoption is unchanged under this program.

Are graduate students part of the program?
No, at this time CSUN Ready is only offered to undergraduate students.

Is there anything I need to do to make sure my class is part of the program?
All undergraduate courses are automatically included in the program.

Do my students need to stay in CSUN Ready if my class uses OER materials?
If a student has multiple classes with OER materials, it may be beneficial for them to opt-out, however it depends upon the cost of course materials for their other classes.

When will my students receive their books?
Digital materials will be provided within Canvas prior to the start of classes. They will also receive an email with information on how to access their digital course materials.
Print materials will be processed and will be available for pick-up at the CSUN Campus Store prior to the start of classes. Students will receive emails from customerservice@follett.com with the subject, "Your order is ready for Pick-up," as their textbooks are pulled and packaged. Students will also receive information on how to request and pay to have their course materials shipped, if they do not want to pick-up their items.

Can my student opt-out of the program?
Yes, students can choose to opt out of the program two weeks before class starts through the last day to Add/Drop/Swap date. If opting out, they will be responsible for purchasing their course materials at the current retail price from the Campus Store or a store of their choice. Students will be able to opt-out by following the link in their student portal.

Will the program allow my students to retain access of all course materials after the end of the semester?
Depending on the publisher, the duration of access to digital books and external website subscriptions varies. Unless otherwise noted, digital materials and website subscriptions typically expire at the end of the semester.

What if my students need audiobooks due to accessibility accommodations?
All digital materials that are part of the program will be reviewed and will meet any disability requirements.
Students can find more information about requesting alternative media on the Disability Resources and Educational Services website at this link: https://www.csun.edu/dres or by sending an e-mail to dres@csun.edu.

What if the materials in my class are all available at the library and/or other OER resources?
Students who opt out of CSUN Ready may want to utilize CSUN Library resources, but if they do not opt-out, they will still be charged per credit unit even if the materials are available at the library. Students are encouraged to explore all options available to them to determine what will be best for them.

What materials will/will not be covered by CSUN Ready?
All required books, ebooks, electronic subscriptions and courseware included with CSUN Ready. Lab supplies, art supplies, calculators, optional course materials, etc. are not covered.

What if my class has no materials? Will my students still be charged the flat cost per credit?
CSUN Ready charges are based on the total number of credits a student is enrolled in ($17.50/credit), rather than a course-by-course charge. For a student to determine whether or not the CSUN Ready Program is beneficial for them, they will need to evaluate the cost to purchase their required materials outside of the program and compare that to their CSUN Ready charge ($17.50 x enrolled credits).