ICON Direct is a way to provide course content through ICON course sites at a price that has been negotiated by the Unizin consortium. ICON Direct is an Inclusive Access program that provides access to eTexts and online learning platforms automatically to all the students enrolled in a course. This program was developed in consultation with the University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government to address rising textbook costs.
The inclusive aspect of the model means that every student has the same materials on the first day of class, with the charge added to their U-Bill. Students may opt out before the the Office of the Registrar's last day for tuition and fee adjustment. Instructors are not expected to find alternative materials for students who choose to opt out.
Instructors can adopt ICON Direct materials following the Office of the Registrar's textbook adoption schedule. Orders are not automatically renewed, so instructors will place an order each semester for each course ICON Direct materials are appropriate.
The amount charged will depend on the content selected and will be shown in the order tool. The length of access to the material will also impact the price.
Course and instructor information in the ICON Direct Order Tool comes from MAUI. A course must be in the "approved" state in MAUI before it will display in the ICON Direct Order Tool.
Instructors and department administrators may place orders in the ICON Direct Order Tool one month before early registration starts for a particular semester until one month before classes begin. Faculty and department administrators should email ICON-Direct@uiowa.edu during the 30-day period before the semester starts to place orders. For Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance, orders should be placed by Early Registration if possible.
| Semester | Ordering Window Opens | Textbook Deadline - Early Registration Begins | Textbook Deadline - 4 Weeks Prior to Semester | Semester Begins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Winter 2024 | Oct. 1, 2024 | Nov. 11, 2024 | Nov. 25, 2024 | Dec. 23, 2024 |
Spring 2025 | Oct. 1, 2024 | Nov. 11, 2024 | Dec. 24, 2024 | Jan. 21, 2025 |
| Summer 2025 | Feb. 1, 2025 | March 10, 2025 | April 21, 2025 | May 19, 2025 |
Fall 2025 | March 1, 2025 | April 14, 2025 | July 28, 2025 | Aug 25, 2025 |
The ICON Direct Order Tool is online. Login with your HawkID credentials. Documentation is available on the Order Tool Knowledge Base, or you can contact the ITS Help Desk with questions.
The easiest way to make adjustments is to email ICON-Direct@uiowa.edu. Ideally, all changes are completed four weeks prior to the semester. Emergency adjustments may be possible up to the first 10 days of the semester.
You don’t need to place content orders for each section, but it would be helpful to add a note to the discussion sections’ descriptions to advise students that an electronic textbook is associated with the course. Something such as, “Students registering for this discussion section need to be aware of the requirements of the associated lecture section.”
The ICON Direct Order Tool connects with MAUI on a daily basis.
Instructors must work with a publisher representative every semester to establish a link to publisher platforms such as Connect, MyLab, Achieve, etc. It is beneficial to do this well in advance of the semester.
For eTexts, the materials will be provisioned or loaded into the ICON sites 4 to 6 weeks prior to the start of the semester. Instructors, TAs, and students will access the eText through the “ICON Direct eTexts” link in the ICON navigation menu of the class.
Please email ICON-Direct@uiowa.edu with any questions.
If they are a TA in MAUI, they will have instructor access to the eText in ICON Direct.
View instructions on how to see a list of the students who have opted out of the inclusive access content for your course.
Individual institutions in the Unizin Consortium control and monitor access and use of data generated by their students.
If you have further questions or would like more information about ICON Direct, contact the ITS Help Desk or the ICON Direct program.