New Partnership brings experiential learning to collegiate retail and helps students develop durable, transferrable skills to better compete in today's workforce
WESTCHESTER, Ill., Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Follett Higher Education, the nation's leading campus store operator serving more than 1,000 campuses in North America, today announced a partnership with Saxbys, an experiential learning company that transforms campus operations into credit-bearing leadership laboratories, to develop a new experiential learning program in collegiate retail. To date, 100% of Saxbys experiential learning locations have operated through Saxbys' own cafes; this marks the first time the platform expands to operate with a partner via Follett's campus bookstores. The pilot program officially launched at Northeastern University in the 2025-26 academic year and will expand to Purdue University in Spring 2026.
A 2023 survey found nearly half of employers believe Gen Z graduates are ill-prepared to succeed in entry-level positions. Additionally, a 2024 study from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning found 86% of college faculty and staff say there is a need for more skills-based learning opportunities, but fewer than a third of colleges nationwide offer these programs. To help bridge this gap, Follett and Saxbys have partnered to develop additional experiential learning opportunities on college campuses.
Follett Higher Education CEO Emmanuel Kolady said, "Many institutions are embracing experiential learning programs that allow students to learn by doing and gain valuable career skills. We're thrilled to announce a new partnership with Saxbys, a company known for championing opportunities that empower the next generation of leaders. This partnership is about helping students gain practical experience that complements what they learn in the classroom and helps ease the transition from college to career."
The Follett/Saxbys experiential learning partnership is designed to provide students with hands-on business and leadership experience within campus retail operations. Each participating campus employs a "Student CEO®" tasked with directing the operations of the campus bookstore. The Student CEO® leads a team of their peers and manages the day-to-day business with support and collaboration from Follett and Saxbys experts. Each Student CEO® works full-time for six months and retains full-time student status while earning wages and academic credit.
Through the program, students develop a range of valuable and in-demand career skills, including strategic planning, stakeholder alignment, team management, talent development, customer service, finance and accounting, and inventory management skills. Student CEOs® also build transferable skills for career readiness, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, cultural agility, emotional intelligence, and resilience.
Saxbys CEO Nick Bayer said, "We created the Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform® to redefine how the next generation of leaders prepares for life after graduation. Our Experiential Learning Platform provides immersive opportunities to learn through real experiences developing and leading teams, building community and managing P&Ls in an environment where every decision matters and every outcome, good or bad, is a lesson. By combining leadership development with hands-on responsibility, we're helping students develop the competencies, confidence, and resilience to thrive in any career path."
The benefits of experiential learning are evident in Saxbys' existing Student CEO program. Industry research shows that it takes the average college graduate 5-7 years to take on a role where they're managing people. Saxbys Student CEO® graduates who have taken on leadership roles with their organizations have done so on average within one year of graduation. Additionally, nearly 50% of all past and present Saxbys Student CEOs® identify as first-generation college students or grew up in low-income households. With a 100% college completion rate, the Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform (ELP)® also offers historically underserved students a springboard for college completion and career placement.
Stephen Bone, Chief Stores Officer for Follett Higher Education, said, "Each of our university partners have unique objectives in pursuing experiential learning opportunities for their students. Experiential learning is considered the heart of a Northeastern education thanks to the University's Co-op program, and our pilot program brings another immersive learning experience to expand the range of professional learning and experiential offerings available to students. Purdue University is a global leader in hospitality management, and the pilot program pioneered by Saxbys and Follett will offer Boilermakers hands-on learning that prepares students for management and leadership careers in hospitality and business. We truly can't think of two better institutions to launch the pilot and ensure its success."
Kolady added, "This is a groundbreaking opportunity to better prepare students for life and leadership after graduation. Importantly, maintaining a quality customer experience and ensuring students' academic success remain Follett Higher Education's top priorities, and we will closely monitor the success and impact of this pilot program to assess prospects for future expansion to additional campuses."
For more information about the program, visit https://go.follett.com/saxbys
About Follett Corporation | Follett.com
Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer providing students, faculty and staff, parents, and fans with the course materials, learning tools and retail services needed to successfully support the academic, athletic, and collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,000+ physical and online collegiate retail stores across North America.
About Saxbys|Saxbyscoffee.com
Saxbys is the only experiential learning company transforming college campus operations into credit-bearing leadership laboratories. Through its Experiential Learning Platform® (E.L.P.®), students earn both wages and academic credit while managing real P&L responsibility, developing teams, and creating communities. Saxbys full-stack solution integrates seamlessly with university curricula and turns cafes, bookstores, and other campus retail spaces into dynamic learning ecosystems. By empowering students to lead real businesses with real consequences, Saxbys delivers proven outcomes, builds authentic confidence and launches careers. Partnering with 25+ universities nationwide, Saxbys operates 30+ locations where 100% of Student CEOs have graduated on time and reach leadership roles 7x faster than their peers.
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SOURCE Follett Higher Education Group LLC
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