Dive Brief:
- More students than ever bring smartphones to campus, and studies show they are increasingly likely to use them for studying and other school work.
- According to eCampus News, on-campus repair shops are now seen as a critical technology service to help students stay on track and to make both students and faculty more comfortable adopting new devices and software, knowing support is close by.
- Georgia Southern University’s Tech Corner, located in the campus bookstore, partnered with Staymobile, expanding its tech support services beyond the computers it sold and giving students access to factory-trained technicians with plenty of in-stock parts for faster repairs.
Dive Insight:
Besides offering valuable tech services for students, Georgia Southern has found the partnership with Staymobile to get more students into the campus bookstore, something that is hard to do once the rush of textbook sales ends.
Diversifying the role of the campus bookstore is not a new strategy for colleges. In the years since online textbook sales have become more attractive for students, these bookstores have struggled to stay relevant. Offering open educational resources and other tech products is a common route. Campus bookstores have also shifted to helping facilitate online orders instead of competing with the digital solution.