Staffs jobs not affected by changes at the bookstore.
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The campus bookstore is under new management. The Follet Education Group took over operations on Oct. 1 to improve the service delivery to students and faculty.
San Jose Evergreen Community College District has operated two bookstores, one on each of its campuses.
“Over the past several years, the stores have struggled to meet market demands and to provide exceptional service-delivery to the district’s students and faculty,” Douglas Smith, the vice chancellor of Administrative Services, wrote in an email. “As a result, the bookstore has not been able to remain profitable in a highly competitive and changing industry.”
The bookstore was facing some troubling times, so it was closed for a while.
“We reopened to the campus community and we’re excited about being here,” Greg Kiryakakis, the regional manager wrote in an email. “Planning on working with Jorge Escobar, the SJCC vice president of Administrative Services to determine how the money is best spent.”
“Follet has committed a $25,000 facility investment to each bookstore. The specifics are to be mutually negotiated between Follet and each respective campus,” Smith said.
Per Smith, Follett will provide a full range of course materials, such as:
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• New textbooks
• Used textbooks
• Digital textbooks
• Custom published materials
• Rental textbooks
• General books
• Reference books
• Supplies
• Computer and technologysupplies
• General merchandise
• Emblematic clothing
• Gifts
• Greeting cards
• Convenience items
• Health and beauty aids
• Special order services
• Graduation-related merchandise
• Class rings
• Other services expected from a full-service campus bookstore
Smith wrote that the new company is offering goods and services to the bookstore.
Staff members have been moved to different places without any changes to their wages, Smith said.
There are concerns about staff jobs.
“I’m worried about the transition,” said Thao Nguyen, a campus bookstore staffer and student at SJCC. “Students may not care, but it’s my job, so I worry.”
Some feel the change is good for the campus.
“I feel that the new campus bookstore renovations is going to be a refreshing change to the campus itself,” said Sabrina Goodnature, a freshman at SJCC.
The company will help students by giving the best selections of schoolbooks.
“The new SJCC bookstore operator will help students by saving money on textbooks by offering choices like rental, digital and used books,” Kiryakakis wrote. “Follett’s Rent-A-Text program saves students an average of more than 50 percent compared to purchasing new.”
