Rationale

 

In accordance with the CSU Executive Order E0926: the CSU Board of Trustees Policy on Disability Support and Accommodations and Coded Memorandum AA-2006-41 San Francisco State University and the CSU have ongoing commitments to provide access to textbooks and instructional materials, including course readers and electronic reserve materials, to individuals with disabilities that are equal in quality and available at the same time as materials provided to non-disabled students.

 

As stated in the Disability Support and Accommodations System wide Report No. 02-03, System wide efforts to provide cost effective and e-text material as a reasonable accommodation to disabled students is essential. The term e-text refers to an accessible format; computer files or electronic versions of printed instructional materials that is compatible with commonly used Braille translation and speech synthesis software.

 

The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) must receive book orders in a timely manner to allow time for the conversion of textbooks, course readers and electronic reserve materials to accessible formats. Currently it is not uncommon for students with disabilities to wait up to 5 weeks to receive alternative media for course textbooks. By having e-text material available before the start of a course, students with disabilities will be immediately able to get a full learning experience from the course. DPRC will continue to meet with department chairs and/or their faculty to help determine which courses and course materials can meet the desired accessibility criteria without altering the fundamental objectives of the course. Experience has demonstrated that timely submitted textbook orders is facilitated when one individual is responsible for coordinating the process within a department.

 

This policy also has added benefits for the entire campus community. Timely - submitted textbook orders help all of our students begin the term with their needed materials and can save students money. Early textbook orders mean more used books, and used books are less expensive for students to purchase than new books. The earlier a text book order is submitted, the better chance the bookstore has of getting used books from wholesale suppliers and at student buyback. At the end of the semester, students receive a higher price for books that will be used again in the following semester if that is known by the bookstore.

 

 

Draft-7 Policy on Timely Adoption of Textbooks for Students

 

In order to ensure that textbooks, course readers and electronic reserve are available and accessible to all students;

 

  1. 1.     The Office of the Provost, in consultation with Disability Resource Center (DPRC). the college deans, and campus bookstore, will establish deadlines each academic year for faculty submissions of requests for textbooks, course readers and electronic reserve materials to be used in their courses.

    1. 2.     The deadlines established by the Office of the Provost for faculty submissions of requests for textbooks, course readers and electronic reserve materials, will provide sufficient lead-time for DPRC and the campus bookstore to identify and secure accessible instructional materials for all students.

      2.  

      1. 3.     Faculty members must submit orders for their textbooks, course readers and electronic reserve materials for their courses by the established deadlines. established by the campus bookstore and library.

        2.  

        1. 4.     If faculty have not been assigned to a course by the established submission deadlines For late hire faculty members, textbooks, course readers, and electronic reserve materials will be submitted by the established deadlines by an appropriate body as determined by the department.

          2.  

          1. Faculty is encouraged to work with publishers that routinely create e-text materials as part of a course-learning package.