Libraries awards nine Open Educational Resources Grants
KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥擳he University Libraries 51福利社 Michigan University awarded Open Educational Resources (OER) grants to nine Western faculty and instructors in December. The grants are anticipated to save over 700 students an estimated $75,000 in textbook costs based on projected course enrollment in 2025.
The OER grants help instructors replace their commercial textbooks with an OER or develop a new one th51福利社 students and learners globally can use instead of commercial textbooks. Paying for textbooks out-of-pocket is a burden for some students, and courses using free OER can be a financial relief.
"I remember feeling so relieved at the beginning of the semester when I found out that I did not have to buy a textbook,鈥 shared one student in a post-course OER grant survey.
Western students in courses funded by the OER grants have saved an estimated $1.3 million in textbook costs since the grants launched in 2019. The Libraries expanded the grant program in 2022 to help faculty create open textbooks for Western students and learners worldwide. The Libraries published four grant-funded in 2024.
Fall 2024 OER Adoption Grant recipients
- Dr. Whitney DeCamp, SOC 6210
- Lori Farrer, ED 3690
- Dr. Michelle Hrivnyak, ANTH 2510
- Kyle Jehnzen, AVS1210
- Marie Moreno, BCM 3700
- Dr. Kenneth Smith, MUS 3810
- Katherine Suender, ED 2300
Fall 2024 OER Creation Grant recipients
- Dustin Altschul, IADN 1570, 2500, 3550
- Dr. Jessica Cataldo, HSV 4780
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