Ithaca College Partners with Akademos to Reduce Cost of Attendance and Provide Enhanced Access to Course Materials

Ithaca College has selected Akademos as its online bookstore provider to help support its students academically and financially in this rapidly changing educational environment. The nationally-ranked college located in the Finger Lakes region of New York – whose mission is to educate, engage, and empower through theory, practice, and performance – will see longterm benefits from this partnership with Akademos. The new online bookstore and course materials platform was launched swiftly to support the fall 2020 term.

The Akademos online bookstore will support Ithaca students and reduce the cost of attendance with online access to a wide selection of low-cost material options including new, used, rental, digital, course packs, and a 100+ million title Marketplace. Financial aid may be used for all required and recommended course material purchases and free shipping is available on all retail orders of new and used books over $49. To accommodate the needs of each student and support additional safety measures, materials can be shipped directly to the students home or to campus for pick up via the Ithaca College mail services. Providing greater access to low-cost course materials during this transition to remote instruction was a priority for Ithaca administration.

“After a thorough search, Akademos was the ideal new partner to align with our strategic plan to focus on saving students money and improving faculty resources, all during these difficult times,” said Bill Guerrero, vice president for finance and administration at Ithaca College. “Upholding our values of academic excellence, respect and accountability, innovation, sustainability, and equity, are now more important than ever. The partnership with Akademos helps us do just that.”

The platform will additionally support Ithaca College’s faculty with enhanced tools including comprehensive course materials adoption software that includes a step-by-step guide for selections, recommendations, and past adoption history, along with the ability to compare prices in real-time. The paired analytics dashboard will give leadership increased visibility into the entire management process with the ability to track critical data, including student purchasing and utilization, and communicate with faculty via built-in notifications to increase overall student success.

“We are pleased to be working with Ithaca to effectively support the rapidly changing needs of their students, and look forward to helping strengthen overall academic achievement during these unprecedented times,” said Raj Kaji, CEO, Akademos. “We are excited to provide administration, faculty, and students powerful and personalized tools that will streamline every step in the course materials management process and further promote the advancement of the entire college community.”

About Ithaca College

Ithaca College began as a music conservatory in 1892, helping young musicians hone their talents into professional-caliber skills. In the decades since, IC has grown into a residential liberal arts college with five schools and over 100 degree programs. Our students gain knowledge and confidence through a continuous cycle of learning, trying, and doing—with access to professional labs, studios, equipment, and research opportunities. At Ithaca College, our faculty and staff are dedicated to student education and growth. They bring a wealth of knowledge and talent to our campus and work to help advance their respective fields. Through research, projects, and involvement in their communities, they also continue to learn and develop as professionals and thought leaders.

About Akademos

More than just an online bookstore, an Akademos technology-driven solution is a customizable bookstore experience every unique institution can benefit from. Whether the bookstore is a service for students or a revenue generator, the platform supports prioritizing readiness, textbook affordability, and retention with all models including Equitable Access, Inclusive Access, Student Choice, or a combination. All aspects of textbook and course material purchasing and delivery are taken care of so you can focus on what matters – student success. A true partnership – Akademos provides unmatched customer support along with access to tools and analytics needed to take each student’s college experience to the next level. Learn more at akademos.com.