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Columns::October 27, 2003
Shared-leave program for UGA employees begins in February
NSF grant provides $3.9 million for four years of plant genome research
There’s (almost) no place like home
Undergraduate researchers gain experience with apprenticeships
Campus News
Private company will assume management of bookstore
By Larry B. Dendy
ldendy@uga.edu
UGA has selected Follett Higher Education Group to assume management of the University Bookstore effective Jan. 1, 2004.
The decision to place the bookstore under private management was reached after months of discussions with other universities and bookstore management firms, says George Stafford, associate vice president for finance and administration. It will result in improved service to students, faculty and staff and improve the bookstore’s financial viability, Stafford says.
The Follett Group was chosen from three companies that submitted proposals to assume management of the bookstore. As part of the agreement, the company will invest about $2 million to refurbish and upgrade the facility, which will continue to operate as the University Bookstore in its current location adjacent to the Tate Student Center.
Stafford says that, in making this decision, UGA joins some 2,000 colleges, both large and small, across the United States in turning to private companies to operate their bookstores. They include Vanderbilt and Emory universities, the University of Florida, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.
“The college bookstore market is changing, and we determined that an outside vendor can better meet the demands of our students and faculty,” Stafford says. “The Follett Group has the management expertise and the purchasing power to make the bookstore more cost effective and to put it in a more price-competitive position.
“In making this decision, the university has made every effort to ensure that bookstore employees are not adversely affected,” Stafford says. Current employees will become employees of Follett and will receive the company’s benefits package, which includes a 401(k) retirement plan.
Employees with 10 or more years of service who are vested in the Teachers Retirement System may elect to have their TRS accounts frozen and can draw on them when they retire.
Bookstore employees who wish to seek other employment at the university will receive priority for placement in other positions.
Stafford says the bookstore will offer a wider selection of textbooks and will also expand offerings in general and trade books. The store will continue other current merchandising lines, including its selections of Georgia Bulldog apparel and other items, and will host more special events such as book signings.
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