The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has selected Barnes & Noble College to manage all course materials, retail and online operations for its campus bookstores.
The partnership becomes official in March. It was approved Thursday by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.
Barnes & Noble College will offer programs and services to support academic success for students and faculty members. BNC will also deliver an expanded merchandise assortment and engaging retail experiences at The Ragin’ Cajuns Store locations in the Student Union, at The Heritage at Cajun Village apartment complex and Russo Park.
“We are excited to welcome Barnes & Noble College to UL Lafayette,” said Duane Bailey, director of Campus Auxiliary Services. “Faculty, students, fans and the community know that they can turn to The Ragin’ Cajuns Stores to meet their academic and merchandizing needs. This reputation for providing an exceptional consumer experience will only increase as a result of our partnership with BNC.”
The Ragin’ Cajuns Stores will provide students and faculty with a gateway to the industry’s largest inventory of affordable physical and digital course materials backed by a price-match program; an array of school supplies; and convenient options for ordering and receiving materials, including in-store pickup or delivery.
Faculty will gain access to the market-leading BNC Adoption & Insights Portal, which will allow them to easily research and submit affordable course material selections. AIP will also provide UL Lafayette academic leadership with the ability to view real-time adoption rates and submission progress at the school or departmental level and to communicate directly with faculty from within the portal.
The Ragin’ Cajuns Stores’ three locations will offer an expanded assortment of apparel, gifts and more.
And, through its strategic alliance with Fanatics and Lids, BNC will provide a wide assortment of school-branded apparel and an enhanced retail experience to the University community. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns merchandise will be available both in store and online through the website or mobile app.
“We are very excited to partner with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to manage its bookstores,” said Marc Eckhart, Barnes & Noble College’s vice president for Strategic Partnerships. “We support UL Lafayette’s mission of offering an exceptional education and look forward to offering a wide range of academic solutions and a seamless retail experience that will help to drive success for students in the classroom and beyond.”
Barnes & Noble College is a leading operator of college bookstores in the United States. It operates over 770 campus bookstores and the school-branded e-commerce sites for each store, serving more than 6 million college students and faculty nationwide. General information on Barnes & Noble College can be obtained by visiting www.bncollege.com.
Graphic credit: University of Louisiana at Lafayette