Morning

Breakfast on your own

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Check-in

The Conference is on the first floor of the hotel. You will see signs for TAC upon arrival.

10:00 am - 10:45 am

Kickoff & Collaboration

Welcome to TAC! This introductory session features a conversation with Ed Schlichenmayer, CEO of the National Association of College Stores. He and Jessica Hickman, TAC Facilitator, will lay a foundation for upcoming discussions and provide a broad perspective of affordability efforts happening across the country. Through engaging interactions, you will find ways to connect and collaborate with others throughout the conference and discover helpful resources to get the most out of your experience.

10:45 am - 12:00 pm

Campus Store Case Study 

featuring Weber State University, UT

• with Ashley Hilton, Affordability Advocate, Wildcat Store

The affordability journey for Weber State is evolving from an Inclusive Access model to an Equitable Access model, producing unexpected outcomes. Ashley will share data from their deep-dive research with students, insights from discussions with campus stakeholders, and current efforts to switch to an academic service model.

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm

Lunch

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Public Policy: Dual Enrollment Course Material Affordability and Access

• Richard Hershman, VP Government Relations, NACS
• Dave Gliva, Bookstore Manager, Waubonsee Community College 
• Christine Klippert, Assistant Director, Auxiliary Services, College of Lake County 
• Andrea Boehme, Director, Access Services, Bowling Green State University-Bowling Green 

1:30 pm - 2:45 pm

Panel: AI in Higher Education

• Dan Alig, Chief Information Officer, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
• Benny Johnson, Senior Director of Learning Science, VitalSource
• Paul Cullen, GVSU Laker Store and Adjunct Faculty, Grand Valley State University, MI

Explore three different perspectives on AI, digital content, and potential student outcomes. Hear how panelists are discussing these topics on campus, developing programs, and leveraging tools to impact students' success.

2:45 pm - 3:15 pm

Sweets & Snacks Break 

3:15 pm - 4:00 pm

Facilitated Group & Table Time 

In this “community conversation,” you will capture action steps on the topics presented using the TAC Experience Journal, respond and share insights with the colleagues seated at your table, and participate in facilitated group activities for the benefit of everyone in the room.

4:00 pm - 5:15 pm

Store Panel: Getting in the Weeds with IA & EA

• Matt Avena, Assistant Director-Academic Resources & eCommerce, CU Book Store, University of Colorado Boulder
• Clay Ludlow, Bookstore Manager, Cedarville University Campus Store, OH
• Stacy Elofir, Director, Towson University Store, MD

Uncover details about Inclusive Access (IA) and Equitable Access (EA) from a variety of campus store viewpoints. Panelists will get into the "nitty gritty," such as what is important to their campus, the factors involved, what worked (and more importantly what didn't), timelines, implementation stages, outcomes, and more. Have your questions ready for this one!

5:15 pm - 6:00 pm

Break

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Connections Reception

Morning

Breakfast on your own

9:00 am - 9:20 am

Vendor Collaboration

Campus Attendees: Connect for 20 minutes with your choice of one sponsoring vendor

Start the day with a quick introduction to programs or services available from one sponsoring vendor. Identify potential solutions and resources for your campus affordability strategies.

9:20 am - 9:25 am

Passing Time

9:25 am - 9:45 am

Vendor Collaboration

Campus Attendees: Connect for 20 minutes with your choice of one sponsoring vendor

Continue quick connections with another sponsoring vendor. Through meaningful conversations, you can gain insights, bridge knowledge gaps, and create impact for future student success on your campus.

9:45 am - 10:15 am

Facilitated Group & Table Time

In this “community conversation,” you will capture action steps on the topics presented using the TAC Experience Journal, respond and share insights with the colleagues seated at your table, and participate in facilitated group activities for the benefit of everyone in the room.

10:15 am - 11:30 am

Campus Case Study 

featuring Appalachian State University, NC

• John T. Eckman, Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Services
• Pam Walker, Campus Store Director

One of the oldest textbook rental programs in the country, App State launched a digital delivery system in 2021 that provides equitable access, convenience, sustainability, and savings to most students. “It’s a big change to go from books to digital, but we’ve been very successful,” says John Eckman. Gain his perspective and campus store insights about why they decided to change, where the pain points were, how people responded, and the significant impact on student savings and value. 

11:30 pm - 12:00 pm

Lunch

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

You Bring the Peanut Butter; I’ll Bring the Chocolate: Collaboration That Just Makes Sense 

• Kate Holvoet, Scholarly Communication and Open Initiatives Librarian, University Library, San Diego State University, CA
• Ben Compton, Course Materials Manager, Aztec Shops Ltd., San Diego State University, CA
• Leslie Kennedy, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Academic Technology Services, CSU Affordable Learning Solutions, California State University

Much like the classic pairing of peanut butter and chocolate, the campus store and library are two great things that go great together when it comes to affordability solutions! Collaboration is an opportunity for every campus store and library, from simply sharing information on adoptions and reserves to integrating processes and systems for positive outcomes with faculty and students. In addition to discussing their perspectives, panelists will share how they are reaching “across the quad” to find common goals, removing barriers to student access, improving faculty relations, and working together for effective cost-savings and reporting results.

1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

Affordability in Context

featuring Lacey Wallace, Research Analyst, OnCampus Research

Sharing data from Student Watch, Student Panel surveys, as well as other reputable resources, Lacey will put course materials affordability in context by discussing other financial expenses and hardships faced by students. This interactive session will focus on student loan debt, day to day expenses, financial hardships, and resources for struggling students. You will learn (and share) how campuses, stores, and companies have approached these challenges.

2:15 pm - 3:00 pm

Take Action: Closing Group Synthesis 

Digest what you have learned, record personal reflections, collaborate with your colleagues, and create an action plan to take back to your campus.