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Program Analysis |

Textbook Rental Services

Program List

Section 1: History & Relevance

This criterion shows how the program is aligned with the university mission:

Eastern Illinois University is a public comprehensive university that offers superior, accessible undergraduate and graduate education. Students learn the methods and results of free and rigorous inquiry in the arts, humanities, sciences, and professions, guided by a faculty known for its excellence in teaching, research, creative activity, and service. The university community is committed to diversity and inclusion and fosters opportunities for student- faculty scholarship and applied learning experiences within a student- centered campus culture. Throughout their education, students refine their abilities to reason and to communicate clearly so as to become responsible citizens and leaders.

The university mission statement sets standards and expectations for programs. Programs will vary in their purposes, clienteles, and methodologies, but all programs are expected to support the university's mission in some way and achieve its stated expectations of excellence. The pattern of achievements and expectations is different for a mature program than a nascent one, so program history is relevant.

Please limit all responses to 300 words
Program Mission

What is the program’s mission statement or statement of purpose? Why does the program exist?

Textbook Rental Service provides the students of Eastern Illinois University with quality textbooks at an affordable cost. This service enables all students, regardless of their financial resources, to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered at the university and participate fully in their learning experiences.


How does the program mission align with the university mission?

Textbook Rental provides textbooks/educational materials to assist in accomplishing this mission.

 

Services Provided

Whom does the program serve?

The student body and Faculty of Eastern Illinois University


What are the services provided? How do these services align with the university mission and program mission?

We provide the student body with textbooks needed for their education and Faculty with the educational materials needed to provide the Eastern student with the best education possible.

 

Program History

Describe the program’s origins (e.g. year established, purpose, expectations).

The history of Textbook Rental Service began with the opening of the university in 1899. Students paid $1 for the benefit of being able to rent, rather than purchase, the books they would need for their classes.

The service originally was housed in Old Main, moved to Pemberton Hall in 1969 and moved to its current location on Edgar Drive in 2010.


How has the unit changed or adapted over time?

? Textbook Rental Service is now a self-service system with new technology. Students get their own textbooks. For convenience, we now have a 24 hour exterior drop book for textbook returns.

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program’s history and relevance to university mission.

Section 2: Internal demand for the program

No single program can achieve the university's mission on its own, and this criterion captures the interconnections among programs. Academic programs provide students with general education courses, foundation and principles courses, and specialized course(s) in support of other programs. Administrative programs may serve a variety of internal clientele, and the choice between internally or externally provided services may be relevant in some cases.

Please limit all responses to 300 words
Demand for Services

Provide data, if available, on the numbers of students, faculty, staff, or others served by the program during the past four years. If no data are available, please estimate the numbers served annually.

 Approximately we served the following: 2011-21,000 students 2012-20,000 students and 2013-19,000 students.

Collaboration with Academic Programs

Does the program offer any co-curricular opportunities for students (e.g., internships, RSO support, service-learning activities)? Please describe.


Does the program contribute to the delivery of academic programs (e.g., providing professional expertise, serving as adjunct faculty)? Please describe.

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the internal demand for the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., curriculum changes made by another program) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Section 3: External demand for the program

The external demands for programs stem from a number of sources: students and their families, employers and business partners, alumni, donors and other friends of the university, and the general citizenry. The establishing legislation for the university requires it to offer courses of instruction, conduct research, and offer public services. The Illinois Board of Higher Education's Public Agenda for Illinois Higher Education establishes expectations for increasing educational attainment, ensuring college affordability, addressing workforce needs, and enhancing economic development.

Please limit all responses to 300 words
External Expectations

Is the program accredited or approved by a recognized external agency or otherwise certified to meet established professional standards? Provide an executive summary of and link to the program’s most recent accreditation or certification report, if available.


Is the program required to meet any regulatory or legal requirements? Is the program subject to any special auditing requirements?

Community Involvement

What are the most important outreach or public service activities supported by the program?


How do the local community and the region benefit from the program?

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the external demand for the program.

Section 4: Quality of program outcomes

Assessment and accreditation of academic programs today tend to be more focused on program outcomes than inputs. This criterion focuses on external validations of quality and uses multiple measures to identify exemplary performance and achievements. Both student and faculty outcomes will be relevant for academic programs. Administrative programs are expected to use best practices and provide value to the clienteles served.

Please limit all responses to 300 words
Outcomes Assessment

What are the two or three more important measureable outcomes tracked to assess program quality? Does the program conduct an outcomes assessment, and if so, what has been the impact?

Customer service and student input and feedback are acquired through a Customer Satisfaction Survey that is sent out to students in the fall and spring semesters.

 

Best Practices

What are the two or three most effective best practices that the program has implemented? What benefits have been gained from implementing these best practices?

We are constantly evaluating and adapting all student emails, notifications and programming, if needed.

 

External Recognitions

What external recognitions (e.g., awards, accommodations, professional certifications, references in trade publications) have the program and its staff received in the past three years?

Professional Organizations

Is the program active with any regional, national, or international professional organizations?


Note any presentations, publications, or offices held in the last three years.

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments or data sources to help the reader understand the quality of program outcomes.

Section 5: Resources Generated by the Program

Programs may generate resources in a number of ways: enrollments, grants, fundraising, income-producing contracts, ticket sales, and provision of services. Interconnections among programs create implicit cross-subsidies, with some programs being net payers and others being net receivers. Resources in this context need not be financial. Relationships with community colleges, schools and businesses, and government bodies also benefit the university.

Revenues
Account 2011 2012 2013 2014
50020-Fees and Fines 2,948,148 2,827,411 2,623,154 2,437,621
50040-Investments and Recovery 0 0 0 0
50050-Sales, Service and Rentals 399,084 368,456 331,901 319,794
50080-Other Revenue 0 0 -164 0
Total: 3,347,232 3,195,866 2,954,892 2,757,415
 
34A001-Textbook Rental Service - Fac Fee
50020-Fees and Fines 302,698 296,927 272,951 252,223
Program Total: 3,649,929 3,492,794 3,227,843 3,009,638
Please limit all responses to 300 words
External Funding Data Pending

Note any special benefits (e.g., personnel support, equipment, permanent improvements) that the program has received in the past three years from its grants and other sponsored programs.

Relationships

How does the program benefit from donor gifts (e.g., scholarships, endowed chairs)? Does donor support provide a significant percentage of the program’s overall funding?

List two or three key relationships that the program maintains with external constituencies (e.g., community colleges, other universities, government bodies). How do these relationships advance the university mission or otherwise benefit the university?

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the resources generated by the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., revenue pass-throughs) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Section 6: Productivity of the program

Productivity refers to the outcomes and resources generated by the program relative to its size and scope. Productivity measures tend to be quantitative, based on metrics like student credit hour production, degree completions, and number of students or other clientele served, relative to the size of the faculty or staff assigned to the program. A program's productivity can be negatively impacted if its resources are too thinly spread to achieve a critical mass or if its resources are imbalanced relative to program needs.

Please limit all responses to 300 words
Metrics and Benchmarks

Provide an executive summary of and link to any metrics or benchmarks that the program tracks to measure productivity.

Staff Productivity

What initiatives has the program implemented to enhance staff productivity (e.g., access to training, workflow improvements)? Briefly describe the costs and benefits of these initiatives.

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the productivity of the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., accreditation requirements, curricular changes, program restructuring) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Section 7: Costs associated with the program

Program analysis will be tied to the university's financial ledgers. A program by definition uses university resources, and tying to the accounting system helps ensure that no programs are overlooked in the analysis. Metrics in this criterion are used to identify all of the costs of delivering the program. Many of these costs are direct, but some may be implicit or indirect costs not directly associated with any financial payment. Programs may also be drivers of efficiencies that can help reduce the costs of delivering other programs.

Please limit all responses to 300 words
Expenditures
Account 2011 2012 2013 2014
60020-Civil Service 302,300 291,291 179,427 176,562
60050-Student Employees 138,647 114,626 119,483 105,115
60060-Fringe Benefits (16,186) (9,496) 759 (1,485)
60070-Leave Payouts - 28,585 53 -
70020-Contractual Services 383,639 433,428 443,783 459,080
70030-Commodities 35,681 31,142 10,537 28,723
70040-Capital Expenditures 2,391,489 1,146,455 1,598,199 1,871,503
70050-Travel - - - 222
70060-Waivers 42,014 31,190 38,565 39,780
Total: 3,277,583 2,067,221 2,390,806 2,679,500
 
34A001-Textbook Rental Service - Fac Fee
70040-Capital Expenditures 5,816 - - -
70060-Waivers 4,664 3,455 4,284 4,422
70090-Transfers 359,138 307,921 309,390 260,568
Total: 369,619 311,376 313,674 264,991
Program Total: 3,647,202 2,378,597 2,704,480 2,944,491
Staffing
34A000 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Total Head-Count (Not FTE) 16.00 19.00 19.00 20.00 18.00
Admin/Professional 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Civil Service 5.00 6.00 6.00 4.00 4.00
Faculty 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Unit A 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Unit B 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Non-negotiated 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Graduate Assistants 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Student Workers 11.00 13.00 13.00 16.00 14.00
Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the costs associated with the program. Note any clarifications or special circumstances (e.g., expenditures made centrally or externally, expenditures made on behalf of other units) that should be considered when reviewing the above data.

Section 8: Program impact on university mission

This criterion may be considered a catch-all for relevant information not covered elsewhere. It focuses on reasons why a program should be maintained or strengthened, the essentiality of the program to the university and its mission, the contributions that the program makes to other programs' successes, and the benefits that the university receives from having the program. The university's vision calls for making personal connections and having a global reach and impact, and programs may have unique aspects that contribute to this vision.

Please limit all responses to 300 words
Distinctive and Unique Aspects

How does the program seek to distinguish itself from similar programs at other institutions?

TheTextbook Rental Service is a unique system. Just as the name implies, EIU rents all basic textbooks at a per-credit-hour fee. This saves the typical student hundreds of dollars per semester. All students receive the benefit of textbook rental but, a purchase option is available during established sales periods each semester. The technology that we use is unique in its own way by using RFID tags in every textbook

Note any unique and/or essential contributions that the program makes to the university.

Program-specific Metrics (optional)

Provide any program-specific metrics that help to document program contributions or program quality. Examples of some commonly used program-specific metrics may be found here.

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand the program impact on the university mission.

Section 9: Future opportunities for the program

No program has all the resources it wants or needs, and new or reallocated funds are scarce. This criterion provides an opportunity analysis to identify new and innovative ideas to promote a sustainable academic and financial future for the university. Identifiable trends in student demographics and interests, technological developments, and partnerships with businesses, schools, alumni, and donors are just a few possible avenues for future opportunities. Many of the opportunities that programs identify will tie back to the university's strategic plan, which specifies six key areas that we want to enhance or strengthen.

Planning Limit all responses to 300 words

Provide a link to or listing of the program’s goals and/or strategic plan.

What role will the program have in the implementation of the university’s strategic plan (provide link to strategic plan)?

Opportunities Limit all responses to 500 words

In the next two or three years, what best practices, improvements in operations, or other opportunities to advance the university’s mission are likely to be implemented?

Comments (optional)

If needed, provide supplemental comments to help the reader understand future opportunities for the program.