Textbooks And Supplies

Textbooks and Open Education Resources (OER) are considered supplemental tools to course instruction.  OER generally comes at little or no cost to the student.  As such, NICC faculty are encouraged to use OERs whenever possible.  Textbooks generally come at a significant cost to students.  If a textbook is required for a course, it must be a common textbook that is selected by the discipline or course faculty and used for all sections of the same course.

Discipline and/or course faculty review and determine what common textbook or OER will be used in the spring semester prior to the academic year they will be used.    In selecting a textbook or OER, the instructor determines what the student outcomes for the course are and how those outcomes can be best achieved. Instructors try to match course objectives and textbooks or OERs, while considering appropriate content or perspectives, accuracy of information, sequence of concepts, representation of diversity, and appropriate level for the students. In addition, the size and cost of textbooks or OER, if applicable, are practical considerations that affect students. Textbooks and OER must be culturally fair, gender fair, and fair to those with disabilities.

The textbooks for each semester are ordered through the online bookstore prior to the start of the semester.  The instructor will need to enter each textbook or OER on the online page for each semester. An email will be sent out with instructions, and the online bookstore site has videos available to help with the process.

   If a textbook or OER change is desired, an email showing the change in textbook information must be approved by your Dean and     

   forwarded to the bookstore. New books should not be ordered without confirming approval. The Dean’s academic assistant can assist 

   with securing instructors’ manuals.

Supplies and textbooks provided by the college to the instructor are not to be sold for personal profit. If a textbook buyer approaches you in your office, please alert your Department Dean and do not sell your books.   If leaving the college, please return loaned materials to the department Dean.