The University is expected to renew Barnes & Noble's contract to operate the Tufts bookstore when it expires this summer. While students will be given an opportunity to voice their concerns about the contract, it is unlikely that they will affect its outcome.
Many students - and Tufts Community Union (TCU) senators in particular - have complaints that they look forward to voicing.
"Our bookstore does not put students first," senator Nick Abraham said. Moreover, Abraham added, the book-return policy and the high cost of Tufts merchandise at the bookstore are significant problems.
Bookstore Manager Ron Gill, a Barnes & Noble employee, disagrees.
"The students are our customers," Gill said, adding that students are always put first at the bookstore. He described the store's book buyback policy as "an excellent program." The reason for low buyback prices, according to Gill, is that many faculty members don't turn in their orders early enough.
"Getting the book orders from the professors is very important," he said. Unless the bookstore is certain that a text will be used the following semester, the normal 50 percent return rate is not offered.
The bookstore is run by Barnes & Noble's college division, a separate entity from the main company. Barnes & Noble does not, however, hold the exclusive right to sell Tufts merchandise. Many misinformed students and senators hoped to revise the contract so that other merchants could sell Tufts merchandise - expecting that this would reduce costs - only to find that there was no such prohibition.
Senators are not expecting any drastic changes in the bookstore's management.
"It's most likely that it will still be Barnes & Noble [next year]," said sophomore senator Ed Schwehm, who also chairs the TCU Senate Services Committee.
One of the problems with switching is that only one other company, Follett Educational Services, offers the same service.
Schwehm said that the Senate will lobby for changes to the agreement, improving both the return prices for used books and book availability. "There are plenty of student issues to discuss," he said.
Director of Dining and Business Services Patti Klos approves of the job that the bookstore has been doing. "We have a special relationship with the bookstore," she said. While she admitted that there have been problems in the past, she said that management difficulties were alleviated when Gill replaced the previous manager last spring.
To garner faculty opinions on the current contract, Klos is holding an open meeting on Feb. 19 in the MacPhie conference room. Anyone is welcome to attend. However, while Klos is responsible for gathering campus opinions, she will not make the final contract decision.
"My job is to manage the contract and get feedback from the committee," she said. Vice President of Operations John Roberto and Executive Vice President Steven Manos will make all decisions regarding the contract.
Although the Senate is not included in the decision-making process, Schwehm said it will certainly seek involvement in the project. After all, "[Klos] is having the conference to get students' opinions," he said.
