The $15,000 grant supports Open Educational Resources (OER), teaching and learning resources that permit free use and repurposing. The funding will go to support faculty and lecturer trainings, improve awareness of resources on campus, improve the OER research guide (annually one of the top-viewed research guides at the library) and facilitate adoption. Last year, those that transferred from commercial textbooks to free or lower cost resources saved students $292,492.
HSU’s OER program has been working to support affordability for five years, during which time students have saved more than $1.3 million in academic materials. This Fall, there are 20 required textbooks that cost $250 or more per title, which can have a huge impact on students, especially those taking multiple courses.
That can mean students having to choose between class materials and meals. Open Educational Resources, in addition to the HSU Library’s textbook rental program, helps students get the educational materials they need to succeed as well as their basic needs to thrive, says Kyle Morgan, Scholarly Communications Librarian and HSU Press Publisher.
In addition to that benefit to student financial wellbeing, independent studies have shown OER adoption leads to:
•Lower class withdrawal rates
•Improved student success, especially for low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students
•Higher student satisfaction
For more information, visit the Library’s HSU Sustainable Learning website.
The CSU system’s Affordable Learning Solutions program helps faculty to choose and provide more affordable class materials, and helps students advocate for and find low or no cost resources.