WESTCHESTER, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 77,000 students at Dallas College benefited from day-one access to course materials during the 2020-2021 academic year through Follett’s industry-leading Follett ACCESS program. Dallas College’s participation in Follett ACCESS (locally branded IncludED on Campus) makes this the largest inclusive access course materials program for an institution nationwide.
With Follett ACCESS, students across the seven-campus community college received their required course materials prior to the first day of class as part of their tuition, eliminating the burden of finding and purchasing course materials on their own, and ensuring they are prepared for class. More than 150,000 course material titles were procured from 292 of Follett’s 6,000 publisher partners. Physical course materials were delivered to students, and adopted digital content was shared with Dallas College’s Learning Management System prior to the start of the 2020 Fall semester.
“The statistics across the 1,100 campuses Follett manages are very compelling. Students who obtain course materials perform far better and have higher completion rates in their academic programs. However, while this data is widely understood, course materials are still an optional purchase on the majority of campuses throughout North America. The Follett ACCESS Program has been disrupting this age-old paradigm since 2012 by providing 100% of students their course materials & supplies prior to class start. The Follett ACCESS program also advocates for a student’s right to choose to participate and offers opt out options,” said Roe J. McFarlane, President of Follett Higher Education Group.
McFarlane added, “We’re very proud to be part of Dr. May’s vision of improving overall student outcomes through attracting, retaining, and launching students into successful careers by providing all the tools they need ahead of their academic journey.”
The Follett ACCESS Program provides faculty with the ability to choose content from publishers in both physical and digital formats ensuring full academic freedom term after term.
“It’s no longer acceptable that a student’s academic success is determined by their ability to afford learning materials,” said Alan Stratman, Vice President of Campus Relations at Follett Higher Education Group. “Perhaps the most compelling part of the Follett ACCESS program is that it ‘levels the playing field’ in the classroom. All students have equitable access to all learning materials regardless of their socio-economic background.”
Dallas College students saw significant course material savings through more cost-effective digital content delivered via Follett ACCESS.
“At every turn, Dallas College seeks to make higher education more accessible and more attainable for our students and the communities we serve,” said Dr. Shawnda Floyd, Dallas College Provost. “Programs like this, offered by Follett, provide our students with an efficient and affordable way to access needed learning materials, so they can be prepared and ready to go on the first day of class.”
According to Frank Gentile, Follett’s Vice President of Digital Operations, Follett ACCESS delivers an unparalleled and seamless digital experience. “Students today are gravitating toward digital content because they are used to the convenience of their devices. Follett ACCESS was designed with that in mind, allowing for easy, one-click access to digital course materials at a much lower price than traditional textbooks.”
Ryan Livengood, Regional Manager for Sales and Operations at Follett, says response to the Follett ACCESS program from the campus communities has been overwhelmingly positive. “Students and parents have less stress around the course materials process, and faculty enjoy classrooms that are ready to engage and learn on the first day. It’s a win-win.”
Now implemented on more than 287 campuses throughout North America, Follett ACCESS continues to disrupt traditional course material models, and demonstrate a positive impact on academic outcomes. Students across participating campuses have cited that having course materials on day one better prepared them to succeed in class and on exams.
For more information on Follett ACCESS, visit follettaccess.follett.com.
About Dallas College | www.dcccd.edu
Dallas College, formerly the Dallas County Community College District, was founded in 1965, and consists of seven campuses: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland. Dallas College offers online learning, and serves more than 83,000 credit and 25,000 continuing education students during the fall and spring semesters. Dallas College also offers dual credit for students in partner high schools and early college high schools throughout Dallas County. Dr. Joe May, the college’s 7th chancellor, has established the Dallas College higher education network in partnership with area school districts, colleges and universities, businesses, community organizations and others to support student success and college completion by removing barriers and providing services that help them earn a college credential and start their professional careers.
About Follett Higher Education Group | www.highered.follett.com
FHEG is a prominent and historic omnichannel retailer and educational service provider that operates over 1,100 campus store locations and 1,250 ecommerce campus store websites. Currently ranked #82 on the Internet Retailer 500, Follett provides emblematic and non-emblematic general merchandise and course materials within the higher education marketplace.
FHEG serves both two-year and four-year colleges through long-term contracts with approximately 800 campus partners. FHEG manages the institution’s online and in-store channels to assort and sell a wide array of merchandise and services that support students, faculty, campus administration, alumni, and the surrounding community. We enable faculty to teach, students to learn, institutions to run and fans to celebrate.
About Follett Corporation | www.follett.com
Follett Corporation is the world's largest single source of educational materials, digital content, ecommerce, and multi-media for libraries, schools and institutions. Headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, Follett provides education technology, services and physical and digital content to millions of students at 70,000 schools, and more than 2,700 physical locations and campus eCommerce platforms in North America. Through Baker & Taylor, Follett's reach also extends to the public library markets.
