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Bison Book Bundle Course Materials Program

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Beginning Fall 2024, Point Park University is pleased to offer a new course material delivery model, Bison Book Bundle. In partnership with the bookstore, powered by Barnes and Noble College, Bison Book Bundle ensures that students have their required course materials on or before the first day of class.

Through Bison Book Bundle, physical books are conveniently packaged and provided to students on a rental basis. Digital materials are delivered directly through Canvas. Upon registering for classes each semester, all full-time on-ground undergraduate Point Park University students are automatically enrolled in Bison Book Bundle. Students have the opportunity to opt out of the program each semester (link to be provided in near future).

Read through the Frequently Asked Questions below to get an understanding of the program. If you're still stumped, start by calling the bookstore at 412-392-3448 or emailing the manager at sm016@bncollege.com.

How it works

 


REGISTER FOR CLASSES

Upon registering for courses, you will be automatically enrolled into the program and the bookstore will start preparing your order.

VERIFY YOUR ORDER

Starting 30 days before the first day of classes, you will receive an email to verify your order and select your fulfillment preference.

RECEIVE YOUR TEXTBOOKS

An email notification will be sent when your order is ready for pickup or when it ships. Your digital materials will be delivered for your course(s) within Canvas.

Bison Book Bundle is a course materials model that lowers the cost of materials for students and ensures students have access to all of their required course materials before the first day of class. Through the program, physical books will be conveniently packaged and provided to students on a rental basis, and digital materials will be delivered directly within Canvas. At the end of the term, students will receive email reminders to their Point Park email addresses to return their physical course materials to the bookstore.
  • Approximately one month before classes start, you will receive an email to your Point Park email address prompting you to confirm your course materials and to select your delivery preference (in-store pickup or shipped directly to your permanent address for a fee).
  • Your bill from Student Accounts will reflect your semester charge for the program. 
  • An email notification will be sent to your Point Park email address when your order is ready for pick up or when it ships.
  • Your digital materials will be delivered for your course(s) within Canvas.
The program provides all required course materials in print or digital formats as a rental. Course materials may include physical textbooks, lab manuals, access codes and digital textbooks.
The program does not include consumables that cannot be returned and reused such as lab goggles, dissection kits, art supplies, molecular model kits or engineering kits.

All full-time on-ground undergraduate students will be automatically enrolled in the Bison Book Bundle program. 

Each semester, you may choose to fill out the opt-out form if you do not believe the program financially benefits you. 

All courses at the University which require materials are part of Bison Book Bundle. 

Ordering & Payment

Bison Book Bundle will cost $375 per semester for the academic year 2024-2025.

Once you have registered for classes, the book fee will be assessed on your student account. You can view your student account balance via PointWeb. If you have questions regarding your bill, please contact Student Accounts at 412-392-3424 or stop by the office at 121 Thayer Hall.

If you choose to have the books shipped to your permanent address, you will pay the shipping cost separately. 

Once you opt out, the charge will be removed from your student account. 

You will be responsible for purchasing your required course materials through the bookstore or other sellers. If you opt out of the program and decide to purchase your materials through the bookstore website, you will select "Opt Out Term" from the "Find Course Materials" dropdown menu. 

If you need help navigating the website, call 412-392-3448 and they will assist you. 
Students will receive emails and phone calls from the bookstore to remind them to verify their order. If you do not opt out, your materials will be held at the bookstore and your student account will be charged.
Yes, if you do not opt out before the end of the add/drop period, your materials will be held at the bookstore and your student account will be charged.

Opting Out

You are given the option to opt out of this program each semester by filling out an opt out form (which will be availble on this page in the future). This option will be available prior to the beginning of each major semester through the end of the add/drop period. These dates can be found on the University's Academic Calendar.

There may be situation where the Bison Book Bundle charge exceeds the retail amount for your books or does not benefit you in a given semester. For example, maybe one or more of your courses is utilizing no-cost materials or no materials at all. In this case, it might be a good idea to opt out for that semester.

We encourage you to visit the bookstore website to search for and review the costs of your required materials as compared to the Bison Book Bundle cost before making your opt-out decision. Remember to do your research every semester!

Yes, you will have 48 hours to return your physical textbooks after you've opted out. If you do not return the textbooks, the charges for your course materials will remain on your student account. After you opt out and return your textbooks, the charge for the program will be removed from your bill.
No, if you choose to opt out of the program for a given semester, you are opting out of all of your courses for that semester.
After opting out, you will receive emails from Barnes and Noble College prompting you to opt back in. Follow the link in these emails if you decide you want to opt back in to the progam. Please note you must make your final selection prior to the add/drop period. These dates can be found on the University's Academic Calendar.

Materials

Yes, the program provides you with the option to purchase textbooks at a reduced rate during the return period.
Yes, normal use of highlighting and writing is permitted in your rental materials. 
The deadline to return all rental textbooks is the last day of finals. You will receive email reminders about the rental deadline to your Point Park email addresses.
Yes, you will still be required to return continuation course textbooks. You will be issued the same title for the next semester of the continuation course.

If you drop a class and enroll in a different class during the add/drop period, the bookstore will "swap" the required textbooks/codes so that you have what you need.

If you drop a course after the add/drop period, it is considered a withdrawal. The materials should be returned to the bookstore. You may find it most convenient to do so right away so you don't lose track of the materials and forget to return them later. 

No, all course materials should either be shipped to your permanent home address or picked up from the bookstore prior to the start of classes.

Please note: shipping fees will be charged if a student chooses to have their materials sent to their permanent home address. These fees are due at the time the order is placed. 

The bookstore works directly with the faculty who submit their required course materials for the courses they are faciliting. 
If you need assistance accessing digital materials, reach out to Barnes and Noble College Bookstore Customer Care for help.