YSU Bookstore panel to look for input

A student trustee said the YSU store is the best choice for student budgets.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The chairman of a committee considering the future of the Youngstown State University bookstore said the group needs additional help to determine who will manage the facility.
Donald Cagigas told YSU trustees Thursday that he hopes to have a final report on the matter within 30 days. In the meantime, he will look into retaining the services of a financial firm that will donate the time and help.
In August, the committee received proposals from the university bookstore in Kilcawley Center on campus, Barnes & amp; Noble Inc. and Follett Corp. The three groups gave the committee presentations of the proposals earlier this month.
"Obviously there's some very strong feelings running through the committee regarding this issue," Cagigas said during the trustees' Finance and Facilities Committee meeting. "My recommendation is that we seek outside assistance that can make a clear and objective decision."
Staying in Kilcawley?
Cagigas said there is some agreement as to the location of the bookstore and that it will likely stay in Kilcawley Center, a student hub in the center of campus. What remains at issue is who will manage the store.
Student Trustee Matthew Pastier said he is pleased the location will likely remain in Kilcawley Center because it offers students convenience they can access on their way to a class.
But he said he has concerns about Barnes & amp; Noble or Follett taking over, and he has reviewed prices as well as amounts paid to students for the used books sold back to stores. Students get a better deal, both ways, from the YSU store, he said.
"Students ... would have to pay a higher price," he said. "I don't think it's something that students, with this tuition climate and state budget cuts, are going to want or be able to do."
As for Kilcawley Center, which features meeting rooms, lounges, eateries, snack stands and other services, Cagigas said surveys from about 2,000 students show that they would like to see the center include a convenience store, a music/entertainment store, a photo developer, a movie theater and a ticket outlet.
Purpose of committee
The bookstore committee was formed to study the location and management of the store and to determine how Kilcawley Center could be enhanced, said John Habat, YSU's vice president for administration. The committee is made up of 14 YSU employees, three students and three community members, including Cagigas, who is president and chief professional officer for the Youngstown-Mahoning Valley United Way.
Habat said the group has been handed the task of providing administrators with a report detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each option.
Cagigas said a Wednesday meeting of the committee was uncomfortable because some members feel the rules have changed and they once were trusted with making a recommendation, not simply listing strengths and weaknesses.
He added there also is some concern about getting outside help, but he feels it is necessary.