UNC has received a total of eight proposals to run either part or all of the UNC Student Stores, according to spokesperson Jim Gregory.
Three of the proposals, including one from the current staff, have offered to run the on-campus bookstore. Five other proposals have offered to run a virtual course materials store, with some form of storefront or kiosk component.
According to Gregory, the national consulting firm Campus Bookstore Consulting Corporation has been hired to assist the university and serve as a resource as administrators review proposals.
Last fall, UNC was approached by Follett, a company that runs book stores on campuses across the state, with a proposal to take over the Student Stores.
In January, UNC began accepting proposals to examine the possibility of privatizing the Student Stores.
According to the Request For Proposals, that ended February 18, the university wants to improve affordability for UNC students and increase the financial contribution of Student Stores to scholarship programs.
After reviewing the proposals, selected contractors will be chosen to give a presentation to the Student Stores RFP Advisory Committee in mid-March.
The committee has not been finalized yet, but will be comprised of 13 members who will represent students, faculty and staff.
A timeline given in the RFP said the university hopes to have a final decision by July 2016.
Related Stories
‹

UNC Community Pushes to Rename Student Stores After James CatesOver the past year, there’s been a big push to rename the UNC Student Stores after James Cates. The Student Stores Building was previously named after white supremacist Josephus Daniels until the Board of Trustees voted to remove the name last July.
![]()
UNC Student Stores Reopens After Controversial TransitionUniversity administrators held a ribbon cutting at the UNC Students Stores in the middle of campus on Tuesday along with personnel from Barnes & Noble College. The ceremony followed a months-long renovation costing approximately $4 million to the facility after Barnes & Noble College entered into an agreement with the university in April 2016 to […]
![]()
Barnes & Noble Selected to Operate UNC Student StoresBarnes & Noble College Booksellers has been chosen to operate the UNC Student Stores, the university announced Thursday. All operations will transition on July 1, as part of a 10-year, $30 million agreement, according to a release. The print shop and pharmacy are exempted from this transition and the university will continue to operate. The […]

UNC's Bella Devey Named ACC Offensive Player of the Week for a Second TimeFollowing a two-goal performance in No. 1 UNC’s 3-1 win at No. 16 Virginia Friday evening, Bella Devey has been named the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Week. It’s the second time this season Devey has earned the honor and the second consecutive week a Tar Heel has taken it home, after Lilliah Blum did […]

Chansky's Notebook: Hurricane HappinessWith the potential for rain Saturday when UNC hosts No. 3 Notre Dame, Art Chansky remembers a rain-aided upset win for the Tar Heels.

100 Years of Kenan Stadium: Commencement VIPsChapelboro's very own Kenny Dike remembers his commencement at Kenan Stadium, which featured a few special guests.

2026 UNC Football Opponent Preview: Notre DameUNC will host No. 3 Notre Dame at Kenan Stadium Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. It’s the first meeting between the two schools since 2022. The Fighting Irish enter Saturday’s game with a 4-0 record, having won each of their games by at least 17 points. Notre Dame is also just two years removed from […]
![]()
The Morning News: New CHCCS Board Member, Newmark on UNC Football ProbeIn today's news: the CHCCS board appoints a new member, and UNC athletic director Steve Newmark addresses the recent football investigation.

Enrollment Growth, Legislative Relationships and The Alumni Center: Highlights of the UNC Board of Trustees Meetings (September 2026)The UNC Board of Trustees held its first set of meetings this week since classes resumed in Chapel Hill, bringing the governing body of the university together to the Rizzo Conference Center complex. The group’s agenda ranged from new and advancing development projects, external affairs updates and critiques, data on UNC’s enrollment growth amid a […]

UNC Athletic Director, Chancellor Say 'Corrective Action Plan' Being Developed After Football InvestigationOne week after UNC closed its internal investigation into the Tar Heel football program for potential conduct and policy violations, the university's leaders shed more light on the decision and their next steps.
›