Outsourcing College Bookstores/OPinED/Chronicle Review
March 26th, 2008http://chronicle.com/weekly/v46/i27/27b01103.htm
FYI
The outsourcing of the MSJC bookstore has been quietly pursued by current administration without a public presentation and/or information item and without board approval for RFP’s. There are major issues to be considered in the outsourcing of a “profitable” bookstore and one would think that administration would consider input/concerns from the elected board of trustees before the district goes out for RFP’s (Requests for Proposals). That’s not the case at MSJC. According to information provided at the March meeting, bookstore employees traveled to Arizona to tour campus bookstores operated by outside vendors.
Why outsource a profitable bookstore which serves students with lower cost books and subsidizes the institution in other areas? May-be it’s not as profitable as they report. Common sense says, you don’t sell something if it earns money.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
The District’s RFP does not have any price controls to protect the students from high book prices. The District will get a percentage of gross sales, thus creating a financial incentive for the vendor and the District to increase prices. Why is this good for students? Will anybody ask? Just watch this one, the District will pocket their take and complain about the vendor’s high prices.
Why are all these interim, soon to be gone, administrators making such important,long range, irreversible decisons?
What happens to the price of goods when a for profit company operates a monopoly with no price controls?
The *only* reason the District wants to do this, is so they can sell the inventory and assets for up to $1 million. This is my opinion in light of the Board meeting presentation today (4/10). How can they get that much money for empty shelves?? They say they will use this money for a new Student Union at MVC. Boloney. They’ll paint the old one and squirrel the rest of the money away. It was also said in the presentation that there was 1 job opening - wrong. There are 3. They hire short-term 60 day temps and never fill the permanent positions. The bookstore has always been profitable - and the profits used to help support the cafeterias. Now that the cafeteria is gone at San Jacinto (is it gone at MVC also?)and replaced with one of the worst-ever snackbars - where are those profit dollars going to?