Students fight move to sell bookstore
The University of Calgary is considering selling its on-campus bookstore to an American company as it searches for ways to cut expenses.
It's a proposal that multiple student groups at the university are fighting, arguing the proposed switch to Illinois-based company Follett would drive up costs for students while decreasing the quality of service.
“A university-owned bookstore's priority is providing services to students and creating affordability,” said Mateusz Salmassi, an organizer with the Students for Direct Action campus advocacy club.
“The writing is on the wall in Alberta. We're headed toward what we see in many American universities, a wave of privatization.”
Meanwhile, the U of C students' union said they have asked for meetings with university administrators to voice concerns over the deal but were rebuffed.
“The bookstore currently sells textbooks as close to cost as possible and maintains a book-loan program,” the students' union said in post shared on social media. “The SU is concerned that this is at risk if the university pushes forward on privatization.”
The U of C's bookstore sells required reading material for students enrolled in courses, as well as clothing, non-academic books, and school and office supplies.
The proposed transaction was made public after a letter was sent to current bookstore employees informing them of the possibility. In a statement, the U of C said it was important to be transparent with staff about the potential sale.
The university added the proposed bookstore sale is just one cost-saving route the school is exploring.
“On an ongoing basis, we look for ways to reduce costs while continuing to deliver services to the community. That includes exploring whether services can be provided in an alternate manner that reduces costs without affecting the student experience,” the U of C statement said. “No decision has been made, and any such decision would take into consideration the impact on students and our broader community.”
The U of C has navigated considerable budget cuts imposed by Alberta's UCP government over the past few years.
The most recent cut, in February's provincial budget, totalled $25 million. In total, the province has cut its grant to the U of C by 16.9 per cent since 2018-19.
Salmassi questioned whether outsourcing the bookstore would actually help university coffers, arguing the school would lose profits from bookstore sales.
“Even if they get more profits, it will be coming out of students' pockets, once again. And this is all because of an agenda being pushed by government,” Salmassi said.
Salmassi, an international student from California, said his friends who go to school in the United States have raised frustration with Follett-owned bookstores.
In some instances, he said, students only received their textbooks near the end of the semester. Supplies are considerably marked up, Salmassi added, and programs to help students who need financial aid, such as the U of C's book loan program, are not in place.
Follett did not immediately respond to request for comment from Postmedia. The company currently operates bookstores at both the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and Bow Valley College in Calgary.