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Message: [QUOTE="husky10, post: 1678572, member: 211"] Edit: sorry for spacing, copied and pasted from my phone Dear Students and Colleagues, I write to share some exciting news: UConn has selected Barnes & Noble College to serve as the university’s next bookstore operator. Earlier today, the Board of Trustees authorized the university to enter into an agreement with the company that is expected begin on June 1, 2016. As we have said from the beginning, we look forward to excellent service, increased affordability of academic materials, and robust community engagement on the part of Barnes & Noble, which runs hundreds of campus bookstores across the nation. Great, high-quality bookstores are social and intellectual hubs of activity for campuses and communities. That is the kind of bookstore UConn deserves, and that is what this new generation of university bookstore will be for our campuses. A [URL='http://today.uconn.edu/2016/04/barnes-noble-to-lead-uconns-bookstore-operation/']UConn Today[/URL] story has been posted about this selection, which can be [URL='http://today.uconn.edu/2016/04/barnes-noble-to-lead-uconns-bookstore-operation/']found here.[/URL] I am pleased to note that the millions in revenue to UConn that this new relationship will generate will be devoted entirely to student financial aid and student support at the university. This is especially welcome in an era that has seen frequent shortfalls and cuts to UConn’s state funding. This revenue is not theoretical; it is a certainty thanks to the contractually guaranteed minimums we have built into the contract. The contract calls for Barnes & Noble to operate a bookstore in the Hillside Road space currently occupied by the Co-op on the Storrs campus, the existing space in Storrs Center, and at our other campuses throughout the state. It also paves the way for a vibrant, prominent bookstore in downtown Hartford, in close proximity to our new Hartford campus opening in fall 2017. There has not been a bookstore in downtown Hartford in many years and we are very excited about changing this. The Hartford bookstore will be a key component of our neighborhood campus and a great resource and gathering spot for our students, faculty, visitors, and the wider community. The coming weeks will be a transition period from one operator to another. However, the change will be nearly seamless. No bookstore location will close for any significant period of time, so service to each of our campus communities will not be interrupted. Over the next year to 18 months you will notice significant changes to the Hillside Road location, as well as to some other UConn bookstore locations. The stores will remain open and operating normally even as the spaces are updated or renovated. I would like to thank the student, faculty, staff, and alumni representatives who served on our bookstore selection committee for their thoughtful approach in guiding the university’s thinking on this important issue. Our highest priority has been to ensure that UConn is home to an outstanding bookstore that meets the needs of our entire community. We look forward to a successful partnership with Barnes & Noble to achieve that. Sincerely, Susan Herbst [/QUOTE]

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