Resources, Policies & Forms

Faculty Textbook Attestation

The , amended October 18, 2024, states that faculty and instructors must attest to the review of all required course materials for the courses they teach each semester to ensure their appropriateness.

To operationalize the BOG regulation, a taskforce was convened with department and college leaders, and faculty senate representatives, to review and amend our university processes accordingly. As a result, , Textbook and Instructional Materials Affordability and Transparency, was amended to include the following change:

When submitting an order, the instructor must affirm they will review all assigned course materials via checkbox.

As a result of this amendment, the instructor of record must be the one to submit textbook orders through the Follett Discovery portal for all courses including those that do not require textbooks or other instructional materials for purchase.

FAQs

What is the statement that I am affirming?

As the instructor responsible for the course material, I affirm that after review and to the best of my knowledge: a) required materials will be used, including each individual item sold as part of a bundled package; and b) course materials have been evaluated and confirmed significant value of changing to a new edition (if applicable) due to substantial and substantive changes from the prior edition. I also affirm that: a) I will review the textbook and instructional materials before the materials are presented or assigned to the students; and b) to the best of my knowledge, the materials are appropriate for this course.

What is meant by "materials" and "appropriate for the course" in the statement?

鈥淢aterials鈥� include but are not limited to textbooks, test and assignment questions, assigned and supplemental readings, and any other instructional material the faculty member plans to assign to students to read and review in the course.

鈥淎ppropriate for this course鈥� means the materials align with the course curriculum and are relevant to the course objectives.

Why was this incorporated in the textbook affordability regulation?

It was incorporated into USF Regulation 3.029 to align with where the Board of Governors includes the attestation.

Can I still have staff in my unit submit my book order information?

No, staff are not in a position to attest that the materials are relevant and appropriate for the course. Instructors must order their books.

Does this apply to graduate students?

Yes, this applies to all individuals listed as the instructor of record.

With the changes, do I still need to complete the Follett process if I am not ordering any textbooks?

Yes, this process has not changed. Textbook orders must be submitted through the Follett Discovery portal for all courses including those that do not require textbooks or other instructional materials for purchase.

What if I already submitted by book order?

Any individuals who submitted book orders before the attestation acknowledgement was added will be contacted individually to complete their attestation.

Is this for Summer 2025 or Fall 2025?

This applies to Fall 2025 as summer orders are well underway. 

What if a course doesn't have an instructor assigned yet? 

In this case, whoever is choosing the materials can complete the attestation. For example, if a program coordinator chooses materials for a course before a faculty has started, the program coordinator would attest.

What if there is an unexpected instructor change?

Send an email to facultysuccess@usf.edu and someone from the Provost鈥檚 Office will connect with you on how to proceed. 

How do I submit my textbook information?

  • Log into Canvas using your USF NetID.
  • Access one of your courses.
  • On the left-hand Canvas toolbar, there should be a 鈥淔ollett Discover鈥� tab which will take you to the ordering page for your courses.
    • Follett Discover will open in a new window, so ensure your pop-up blocker is turned off.
  • Within Follett Discover, you can search for textbooks or enter the textbook order information for your courses.
  • If you do not require textbooks for your courses or the materials are made freely available to students through library resources, please select the link 鈥淚 have no materials to adopt for this course鈥� for each relevant course.

    Faculty can view a short training video to help them get started with Follett Discover:

 

Additional questions can be sent to facultysuccess@usf.edu.