Textbook and Instructional Materials Explorer
Welcome to FIU’s Textbook and Instructional Materials (TIM) Explorer
Beginning July 1, 2022, this portal serves to enable our students and the public to explore the required and recommended textbooks and instructional materials in FIU courses.
Learn about FIU Textbook Affordability Initiatives
Statutory and State University System Requirement
Pursuant to Senate Bill 7044 (2022) – The Florida Senate (flsenate.gov), taking effect July 1, 2022, this website provides insights into the textbook and instructional materials required and recommended for courses at FIU. It also provides access to the syllabi of University Core Curriculum (UCC) course sections. This legislation amended section 1004.085, Florida Statutes.
The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) provides further direction to institutions in the State University System under its regulation 8.003, Textbook and Instructional Materials Affordability. Starting with the fall 2022 term, this database will maintain the required information for at least five academic years.
FIU provides further guidance to the campus community in its Board of Trustees’s approved Regulation 1103 Textbook Affordability which can be found here.
FAQs
Students and General Public
Q: What is the purpose of this portal?
A: The purpose is for students and the general public to easily find the required and recommended textbooks and instructional materials in FIU courses.
Q: Do students have to obtain the required and recommended course materials from FIU’s Barnes & Noble campus bookstore?
A: No. Students may purchase their textbooks and other instructional materials at the most affordable price from any vendor.
Q: I am not able to find my course section when searching in the TIM Explorer. Why?
A: Course sections without any textbook or instructional material adoption on record are not displayed. Only course sections with an adoption submitted by the instructor are included.
Q: A textbook with multiple authors only displays one author in the search results. Why?
A: The information on textbook authors is imported from our campus textbook provider, Barnes & Noble. At present, that information is limited to one author name. Barnes & Noble has received a request for this data to be extended to include all authors’ names.
Faculty
Q: Do I have to submit my textbook adoptions to this portal?
A: No. Your textbook adoptions submitted to our Adoptions & Insights Portal (AIP) are automatically populated on this website.
Q: Do I have to submit my course syllabus to this portal?
A: No. Only University Core Curriculum (UCC) course syllabi must be posted on this portal. All UCC syllabi posted in Canvas Syllabus or Creator Pro are automatically populated on this website.
Q: I noticed that my textbook adoption or UCC syllabus requires an update. What do I do?
A: Any updates to your textbook adoption or UCC course syllabus must be made in AIP or Canvas Syllabus/CreatorPro, respectively. The institutional deadline for any updates to a textbook adoption or a UCC syllabus is always 75 days prior to the first day of the semester.
Q: When are my textbook adoptions due?
A: Textbook adoptions are always due by FIU’s institutional deadline, which is generally 75 days prior to the first day of the semester. If you are able to post your adoptions even sooner, please do so.
Q: When is my UCC syllabus due?
A: UCC syllabi are due by FIU’s institutional deadline, which is generally 75 days prior to the first day of the semester. If you are able to post your UCC syllabus even sooner, please do so.
Q: I just learned that I will be teaching a course next semester, but the 75 day deadline has already passed. What do I do?
A: Please submit your textbook adoptions, and if applicable also your UCC syllabus, as soon as possible.
Contact
For questions concerning FIU’s textbook affordability initiatives and the information contained in this portal, please contact the Chair of the Textbook Affordability Task Force, Ms. Birgitta “Gitta” Rausch-Montoto at gmontoto@fiu.edu.
For questions concerning syllabi contents and instruction, please contact the Senior Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT), Dr. Leanne Wells at lwells@fiu.edu.
