Faculty FAQs
Adopting Course Materials
Will Aggie Access affect textbook selection or academic freedom?
No, faculty retain full academic freedom under this program and can continue selecting the materials that best suit their course. All textbooks remain available for adoption, whether they are publisher paid content or free/open educational resources (OER).
Only required titles are included in the program; optional/recommended, out-of-print, and hard-to-find titles are not included in the program.Do I need to use Canvas for instruction?
No, Canvas is not required for instruction in order for students to participate in the program. However, students will need to sign in to the main Canvas page in order to access the Bookshelf app where their eBooks will be accessed.
How do I adopt materials?
There is no change to the current adoption process. Visit this page for more information on submitted course material adoptions.
How do I obtain a desk/examination copy of a textbook?
There is no change to this process, you will reach out to your publisher representative to request a desk copy. If your course has a required eBook through Aggie Access, all Canvas course users with the role of Teacher, Course Admin, or TA will receive complimentary access to eBooks provided by VitalSource Bookshelf. For eBooks or courseware provided directly through a publisher's content platform (such as Pearson MyLab or McGraw-Hill Connect), please contact your publisher representative.
Will my students still get charged if I cancel a book from my course?
Aggie Access is a flat-rate program that covers all required textbooks for eligible students. Therefore, if you decide to cancel a book from your class, there is no additional cost or reduction to students.
Digital course materials are not suitable for my course. Will exceptions be made to accommodate print?
It is understood that a one-size-fits-most model may not meet the needs of every course format, curricula, or mode of instruction. Instances with pedagogical mismatch where the required course materials are impractical, unfeasible or unavailable in digital format, print options may be considered on an individual title-by-title basis. Please contact textbooks@usu.edu if you would like to review your required course materials.
I use materials other than a publisher textbook, such as third-party software, library resources, OER, etc. Can I continue to do so?
Yes, you may continue to request the same content as before. Many third-party software providers already integrate or can be integrated into the Aggie Access program. In collaboration with the library, their content, as well as OER content, will be listed alongside any publisher content in students' Bookshelf.
Your Students
My course doesn’t require textbooks—why would students in my course benefit from this program?
Aggie Access is inclusive of all undergraduate courses. Students taking courses in addition to your course may find their other courses do require paid content.
How do students access their course materials?
Students initially access eBooks directly through Bookshelf in Canvas. After initial access, a student may continue to access through your Canvas course, or by logging in directly to their VitalSource account. eBooks provided by VitalSource can be downloaded to any device, and across devices for offline use. At the conclusion of a term, eBooks may be accessed through VitalSource until the eBook’s duration expires.
Publisher courseware (such as McGraw-Hill Connect or Pearson MyLab) is accessed through an integration in Canvas or with a provided URL. Most publisher courseware is integrated with Canvas to connect to the publisher’s content platform and students will use the Canvas link to create their initial courseware login. After an initial login has been created, students may go directly to or bookmark the login page of the publisher’s content platform.
For non-digital course materials (only those titles offered as print), copies will be distributed to students by the USU Campus Store.How long do students have access to digital materials such as eBooks and courseware?
Access duration depends on the publisher, with most eBooks being lifetime access, and others being five years. All eBooks have a minimum access duration of 150 days. Students are notified of the eBook duration lengths in their emails that they receive from the Campus Store.
Courseware is typically only accessible for one semester unless otherwise negotiated with a publisher for multi-semester course series.Can students download eBooks? Or use without internet access?
The VitalSource eReader is fully device agnostic, scalable, and allows simultaneous usage across 2 mobile devices and 2 desktop devices. Further, content downloaded to the eReader app can be accessed in offline situations as long as it was downloaded prior to loss of internet connection. As for saving as a file, copyright laws can restrict licensed content from taking form as re-distributable files. Allowing content to only be downloaded within the eReader puts the onus on the provider to protect copyright and relieves the University of associated risks.
Can my students decline access or opt out? How do they do so and how do they acquire their textbooks if they choose to opt out?
Yes, students can choose between different plan options. Learn more on the Student FAQs page.