Michigan’s Oakland Community College Selects Follett Higher Education to Deliver Innovative Campus Retail and Inclusive Course Materials Access
WESTCHESTER, ILL., Nov 11, 2021 – Follett Higher Education, the largest campus retailer in North America with more than 1,100 campus locations, announced today that Oakland Community College (OCC) in Oakland County, Michigan, transitioned its campus retail operations to Follett on November 8, 2021.
Oakland Community College is the second largest institution by enrollment in the state of Michigan with five academic campuses and three campus retail locations. Prior to the partnership with Follett, OCC campus retail was independently managed.
“This new partnership provides Oakland Community College and our students with an updated model in the campus bookstore’s management, providing students and faculty with the materials they need to be successful in their courses” said Bobbie Remias, OCC’s Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services. “We understand our students expect the OCC bookstore to provide convenience and cost-effective alternatives, and we are confident that Follett will be able to satisfy these outcomes and be a win for both our students and the College.”
Throughout its history, which spans more than 145 years, Follett has served as a leader in higher education and campus retail. With more than 300 community colleges currently within its national network, Follett is uniquely positioned to address the needs of OCC campus administration and faculty while ensuring students have equitable access to affordable learning materials.
“Follett is first and foremost focused on the academic success of Oakland Community College students,” says Jennifer Hatton, Executive Vice President of Retail Operations and Course Material Solutions at Follett. “We have helped millions of community college students reach their academic goals, and we lead in affordable and equitable course material programs. Our solution will ensure OCC students get the right materials, in the right learning modality, at the right price and at the right time.”
Follett offers all content formats for over 6000 publishers, including new and used textbooks and the option to rent these materials with an 80% cost savings. Additionally, expansive digital formats such as eBooks and courseware are growing rapidly, as well as open Educational Resources (OER), which offer greater cost savings.
OCC students will continue to benefit from an inclusive digital course materials model with Follett ACCESS – an inclusive access program they are currently leveraging that delivers course materials as part of students’ tuition or course charges. With the bulk purchasing power of Follett, students can save up to 30 percent on their course materials. Plus, OCC faculty will have access to Follett’s 1,000+ digital publisher partners and the freedom to choose the content that best fit their curriculum. More than 200 digital titles are being procured for the Follett ACCESS program at OCC.
“Follett ACCESS has proven to be a powerful program with significant impacts on student outcomes. We have witnessed positive correlations in grades and retention, not to mention millions in course material savings,” says Roe J. McFarlane, President of Follett Higher Education. “We’re thrilled to be able to extend our inclusive course material solution to the OCC community and help boost preparedness and drive equity in the classroom.”
Looking ahead, OCC students, faculty and administration will also benefit from Follett Discover, an online suite of tools that improves course material adoption for faculty while lowering costs and driving access for students. More information can be found at follett.com/campus-solutions/course-material-programs/.
As part of the transition to Follett, OCC campus store locations will undergo some renovations in summer 2022. Follett’s plans include retail environments that drive the OCC brand and campus culture while celebrating the institution’s prominence as one of the largest community colleges in Michigan. New fixtures and design elements, along with an updated assortment of OCC merchandise, are planned as part of the renovations.
Follett is excited to welcome Oakland Community College into its family of campus stores. The partnership brings the necessary access and innovative solutions to elevate campus retail and help students achieve their academic goals. More information on campus store offerings can be found by visiting the campus store website at https://www.bkstr.com/oaklandccstore/home.
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About Oakland Community College | www.oaklandcc.edu
Offering nearly 100 degrees and certificates, OCC is Michigan’s largest multi-campus community college and No. 1 transfer institution in the state. The College provides academic, career training and enriching experiences, designed to empower students to reach their potential and enhance our community. More than 1 million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. A seven-person Board of Trustees governs OCC. Board members are elected on a non-partisan, at-large basis, serve as volunteers and are not paid. Mission statement: OCC is committed to empowering our students to succeed and advancing our community. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
About Follett Higher Education Group | follett.com/about-us
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 #57 on Digital Commerce 360’s 2021 Top 1000 list, 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.
Media Contact:
Follett Higher Education
Samantha Swick
Vice President of Public Relations and Campus Marketing
708.884.1387
sswick@follett.com
