AUXILIARY SERVICES DIVISION UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BOOKSTORE Summary of Major Accomplishments The University of Georgia Bookstore continued to expand services to the University community in Fiscal Year 2008. In particular, the bookstore focused on how to best meet the needs of non-traditional distance-learning students, as well as those that attend courses at one of the University’s extended campuses. The bookstore continued to provide course materials for the Georgia Center’s continuing education classes, carrying books both in-store and online. In addition, the bookstore’s off-campus location, FTX Bookstore, began providing online fulfillment for the University System of Georgia’s E- core program. FY 2008 marked the first full year that the bookstore handled these additional programs. A major addition to the University Bookstore’s services took place at the new UGA- Gwinnett Campus facility. The Follett Higher Education Group, in cooperation with the Gwinnett campus, designed and outfitted a bookstore to meet the needs of the new campus and its students, faculty and staff. The UGA-Gwinnett Campus Bookstore provides the Gwinnett campus community with many of the same services offered at the main campus, including course materials and textbooks, which are available both online and in-store. The UGA-Gwinnett Campus Bookstore has its own manager who works closely with the main Athens campus bookstore to facilitate the acquisition of book information and materials needed for courses. The University Bookstore also continued to provide textbooks for the growing Griffin campus, which presents its own set of challenges due to its small size and distant location. For fall term 2008, the bookstore will have personnel in Griffin during the first week of classes to sell books, and Griffin course materials will also be available on the bookstore’s Web site. The bookstore staff worked diligently to be involved in as many campus activities as possible in FY 2008. Overall, more than 100 organizations or departments received product donations to support a variety of events. Some examples of events that the bookstore helped sponsor or support include Relay for Life, Dance Marathon, the Miss UGA Pageant, the Future Scholar’s Visitation Program and many others. These donations totaled more than $10,000 in merchandise. In addition, the Bookstore participated in more than 25 book signings throughout the year, including events with Valerie Plume Wilson, Ralph Nader, Larry Munson, Cynthia Cooper, Vince Dooley and Herschel Walker. The bookstore also participated in the Children’s Literature Conference, the Cave Canen Symposium and the Georgia Book Awards. The University Bookstore continued to offer $12,000 in annual bookstore scholarships, with the Office of Student Financial Aid selecting recipients. In addition, the bookstore employed more than 200 student employees throughout FY 2008. The bookstore continued its engagement in new student orientation, with administrators speaking directly with parents and students about store services and providing each new student with a free T-shirt. D-52 The bookstore continued to monitor levels of customer service through the use of customer surveys and a secret shopper program. This year, the secret shopper program was expanded to include online services. In addition, the bookstore requires all employees to undergo extensive customer service training, including two comprehensive video courses and an online test. In FY 2008, the University Bookstore updated its procedures and systems related to the acceptance of credit cards. The Payment Card Industry developed new standards by which retailers and payment processors are measured, and the bookstore was proactive to ensure compliance. The bookstore updated its online fulfillment software to better protect customers from potential fraud. In addition, internal store standards for handling phone orders and mail order transactions were updated. More than ever, University Bookstore customers can shop with the confidence that their important personal information is secure. The University Bookstore continued to search proactively for products that best support faculty, staff, visitors, students, alumni and fans. For example, the bookstore quickly reacted to several last-minute “hot market” opportunities in FY 2008, including the “blackout” game against Auburn and the Bulldogs’ appearance in a BCS bowl game, the College World series and national championships in tennis and equestrian, as well as other athletic milestones. The bookstore also expanded its merchandise catalog to 32 pages. For the third consecutive year, the University Bookstore was chosen by readers of the Athens Banner-Herald as having the best Bulldog merchandise. Furthermore, the bookstore continued to expand its offerings in the computer store, with Apple computer sales continuing to grow significantly. In fact, the bookstore received an award from Apple for highest year-over-year sales growth. Finally, FY 2008 was the first year that the bookstore began to see measurable sales of ebooks. Going forward, Follett and the University Bookstore are in a position to respond to any increases in the demand for the electronic delivery of course materials. Summary of FY 2009 Goals The University Bookstore will continue to find ways to improve its delivery of textbooks and other course materials. Toward that end, the major goal of FY 2009 will be to acquire required textbook information from faculty in a more timely manner so as to have more books on the shelves prior to the start of classes and to maximize the benefits of booknow©. With the price of textbooks being a major concern for students, the bookstore will work harder to acquire used textbooks and offer students more money for their books during buyback. The bookstore also is positioned to handle increases in customer demands its ebooks and other alternate forms of textbook delivery. The Follett Higher Education Group’s recent acquisition of Cafescribe will assist in improving its ebook offerings. The bookstore will continue to explore ways to become more integrated with campus life. Through book signings, donations, sponsorships and service offerings, it is the D-53 bookstore’s intent to be an important and active partner with the University of Georgia community. The bookstore will continue to strive to better serve the non-traditional and distance learning student. One major portion of this goal is to implement high service standards and introduce quality products and required course materials at the new UGA-Gwinnett Bookstore. In addition, the bookstore plans to update the store’s Web site to be more visually appealing and user-friendly. The University Bookstore is budgeted to increase sales in FY 2009 by more than 6%. Considering the loss of one home football game, this will require the bookstore to continue to introduce new products and improve services. One unfinished goal from FY 2008 that the bookstore would like to complete is the creation of a focus group. This group would meet periodically to discuss issues related to bookstore operations and product offerings. Ideally, this group would be comprised of faculty, staff and students. D-54 UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE FINANCIAL SUMMARY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2008 YEAR TO PERCENT OF DATE REVENUE Revenue (1) $ 1,404,974 100.0% Cost of Goods - 0.0% Gross Profit 1,404,974 100.0% Operating Expenses: Personal Services (2) 101,769 7.2% Direct Expenses (2) 170,291 12.1% Indirect Expenses (2) - 0.0% Total Operating Expenses 272,060 19.4% Net Operating Income 1,132,914 80.6% Transfers: Depreciation 92,176 6.6% Debt Service - 0.0% Other Transfers - 0.0% Total Transfers 92,176 6.6% Net Income $ 1,040,738 74.1% (1) Includes a distribution of interest income (2) Includes a distribution of administrative expense D-55 UGA BOOKSTORE ORGANIZATION CHART Store Director II Jeremy Johnson Textbook Merchandise Tradebook Asst. Director Manager IV Manager Manager III Bob Bailey Robert Newsome Chuck Upton Susan Dembinski Administrative Receiving Textbook GM Coordinator Tradebook Manager I D-56 C.S. Manager GM Coordinator Office Manager Computer Store John O’Loughlin Manager I Amanda Norton Cody Shiver Cindy Norton Jonathan Hall Kristopher Langley Matthew Williams Sr. Accounting Receiving Text Coordinators C.S. Coordinator Supply Coordinator Trade Coordinator Clerk Coordinator Cameron Forshee Tracey Holdger Lenox Mulinex Noelle Lamberth Midred Beck Debi Shaw Rhonda Powell Katherine Rohrer Accounting Clerk Lead Cashier Part-time Staff Part-time Staff Part-time Staff Part-time Staff Glendale Johnson Chamelle Davenport Cash Office Thomas Moniak.