March 27, 2026

Deans and Faculty,

Alaska's Textbook Cost Transparency Act (SB 13 Compliance) takes effect July 1, 2026, requiring UAF to provide students with accurate textbook cost information at the point of registration. Deans and faculty need to act quickly to meet the fall 2026 deadline and build sustainable processes for future semesters.

Immediate action (fall 2026)

• Textbook adoption period is open now; deadline extended from April 1 to April 15.

• Goal: 100% adoption before faculty go off contract on May 8.

• If no submission by May 8, the previously used textbook auto-adopts.

• Deans must coordinate for courses without assigned instructors, faculty on sabbatical, or new courses.

Future semesters

• Adoptions open the day after dean/chair approval of the course schedule.

• Adoptions close the day before the schedule goes live on UAOnline.

• Spring 2027 example: adoptions run approximately Oct. 3-19, 2026.

Required course designations

• Zero cost – All materials free (e.g., Open Educational Resources (OER)); no purchases needed.

• Low cost – Under $56 (4x Alaska minimum wage per SB 13); applies to 0–2 credit courses in the Bookstore Bundle ($21.50/credit).

• No textbook required – Instructor does not plan to use a textbook; this is administrative use only and will not show in the course schedule.

Bookstore Bundle exclusions

• Programs with extenuating circumstances can apply for exclusion.

• Any approved exclusions won't take effect until fall 2027.

We recognize that this legislation represents a departure from current practice at UAF, while also marking an important shift in how we support students. It requires us to provide clear, timely information about textbook costs and to align our processes with these expectations. Building a sustainable culture around these designations will take time as we prioritize transparency that directly benefits students, and I appreciate your efforts as we work collectively toward this goal.

If you believe your program has extenuating circumstances that warrant a possible exclusion from the Bookstore Bundle, please complete this application for review. Any changes to the exclusion list won’t go into effect until fall 2027.

Sincerely,
Charlene Stern, interim provost and executive vice chancellor