West Virginia Northern Community College Partners with Akademos to Launch Full-Service Virtual Campus Store

Akademos announced today a new partnership with West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC), a comprehensive community college committed to excellence in teaching and learning based in Wheeling, WV. After a thorough competitive proposal process, WVNCC has selected Akademos to run their full-service online store for course materials and branded merchandise and apparel. The new WVNCC online store will launch to support the spring 2021 semester.

With the new partnership comes the closure of the Barnes & Noble bookstore on all three of WVNCC’s campuses. The largest location was in Wheeling, on the corner of Market and 16th Street. It has not been determined yet what will occupy the first floor of the building. The second floor is the college’s Student Union. The café portion of the Barnes & Noble will close November 25, but the store will remain available to Northern students after that date.

By leveraging Akademos’ all-in-one course materials platform, the new WVNCC-branded store will focus on accessibility and affordability, allowing students to order a wide selection of course materials, including new and used books, rentals, eBooks, and interactive digital courseware. The shopping experience will be fully personalized for each student to provide a seamless experience and offer free shipping and guaranteed buyback options. The online bookstore also gives students access to all of their digital course content in one convenient eLibrary.

“Partnering with Akademos allows us to expand the offerings and capabilities of our bookstore and to increase convenience and cost savings,” said West Virginia Northern Community College President Dr. Daniel Mosser. “This decision contributes to our overall mission to educate and empower our students with all of the tools they need to succeed including access to a wider selection of affordable course materials and WVNCC apparel and merchandise.”

The enhanced merchandise experience in the platform supports current trends, future needs, and brings a unique value to students, parents, and alumni. From accessories, giftware, and supplies to required program uniforms, other apparel, and graduation regalia, the greater WVNCC community will have access to popular branded merchandise no matter their location.

In addition to the growing eCommerce capabilities, faculty will have access to a customized adoptions portal, enabling them to research, compare, and adopt course materials simply and efficiently. Also included is easy-to-use course pack creation software that will further support the use of low-cost materials. The platform features administrator dashboards displaying real-time data on the adoptions process, bookstore utilization, and sales. These promote on-time adoptions with advanced communication and reporting tools, ultimately boosting preparedness and student success.

“We are pleased about working with WVNCC to continue to build a thriving online bookstore,” said Akademos CEO Raj Kaji. “Our technology and comprehensive platform will drive student engagement with everything they need for an exceptional college experience. This will ensure each student can be prepared on day one with both affordable course materials as well as merchandise to show off their school pride.”

About West Virginia Northern Community College

West Virginia Northern Community College is a two-year comprehensive community college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1972, WVNCC offers transfer degrees and programs in the Liberal Arts, Career-Technical programs, and Community and Continuing Education on three campuses in New Martinsville, Weirton and Wheeling. For more information visit wvncc.edu

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.