OER Digest – February 23, 2023

Written By

Aishah Abdullah (SPARC)  | Volume 168 | February 23, 2023

THE OER DIGEST

Your monthly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

OPEN EDUCATION WEEK - MARCH 6-10: Open Education Week is coming up on March 6-10. The week, which is hosted by Open Education Global (OEG), is an annual celebration and opportunity for actively sharing and learning about the latest achievements in Open Education worldwide. You can participate in a number of ways such as hosting your own event, attending an activity hosted by another organization, sharing your favorite open assets, and promoting awareness on social media using the hashtag #OEWeek. You can submit your contribution to be featured during OE Week 2023. 

STATE LEGISLATION UPDATE: State legislatures across the United States are considering bills relating to OER and course material affordability. Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin have introduced bills providing funding for OER and OER-related programs. California is considering a bill related to marking courses with low textbook costs, and Minnesota is considering requirements related to the number of low-cost courses. In contrast, New York and Texas have proposed bills relating to digital textbook subscriptions and “inclusive access” textbook billing. Visit the SPARC State Policy Tracker for updates.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

JOB OPPORTUNITY: The University of Kentucky Libraries is hiring for an Affordable Course Content Librarian and a Student Engagement Librarian. The review of applications will begin on March 10.

JOB OPPORTUNITY: The William H. Hannon Library at Loyola Marymount University is hiring an Open Educational Resources (OER) Librarian / Project Coordinator (PC) to support the planning, implementation, and assessment of a three-year, federally funded grant project. 

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Clemson Libraries seeks a dynamic, driven, and collaborative Department Head for Open Scholarship to provide leadership and expertise at Clemson Libraries.

OPENED23 THEME ANNOUNCEMENT: In recognition of the 20th anniversary of the OpenEd Conference, the OpenEd23 Board of Directors has selected the following conference theme - "Innovation and Praxis: Building on 20 Years of Community." You can read more about the conference theme and sign-up for updates here.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The 2023 FL OER Summit call for proposals is open. This year’s theme is “Beyond Affordability,” where we will explore how the use of OER benefits students, faculty, and institutions beyond saving students money. Proposals are due February 28th. 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The Colorado OER Conference Organizing Committee is excited to invite proposals for the 2023 Colorado OER Conference. Faculty, librarians, students, instructional designers, administrators, and other OER advocates are encouraged to submit a session. Proposals are due March 13.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The Open Education Global 2023 Conference that will take place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Amiskwaciwâskahikan), from October 16-18, 2023 and invite proposals for conference sessions. Proposals are due May 15.

REGISTER NOW: The UC Davis Library’s AggieOpen program, an initiative funded in partnership with the LibreTexts Foundation, is thrilled to invite Professor Jasmine Roberts-Crews to present “A Call for Reparative Justice in Open Education Labor” for Open Education Week 2023. Register to attend this virtual event on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM ARIZONA: Cochise College has been awarded a nearly $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund the use of OER for 25 of its courses. Cochise College Student Government Association President Christian Lewis says that some of his textbooks have cost between $300-$400 dollars. Dr. Wendy Ashby, the Instructional Designer, shares the importance of affordable course materials in rural areas. “Textbooks just have become out of reach for many students, especially, again, in the rural community colleges because they tend to have more financial difficulties than some other demographic groups do,” said Ashby. Read More >>

FROM ARKANSAS: University of Arkansas (UA) Cossatot’s textbook rental and Open Educational Resource (OER) program has saved students over $3 million. Efforts began as a chancellor’s vision in 2015, and as of 2022 nearly 70% of courses at UA Cossatot are taught with OER. UA Cossatot Chancellor, Dr. Steve Cole recently recognized Relinda Ruth, Director of Educational Resources and OER Specialist, for her efforts in building this program and leading the OER effort in Arkansas. Ruth shares how “It’s amazing what everyone at UA Cossatot has accomplished with our textbook rental and OER program. Dr. Cole had a vision of making college more affordable to students and the entire UA Cossatot team worked together to make it a reality.” Read more >>

FROM CONNECTICUT: The Connecticut Open Educational Resources Coordinating Council released its 2022 legislative report which names Middlesex Community College among the top 10 state colleges with students enrolled in the OER state-funded grant program. Their OER program was implemented in 2019 and has saved students nearly $300,000 in the 2021-22 academic year. The program offers free learning materials across a range of disciplines and courses such as biology, college success, early childhood education, English, engineering, mathematics, sociology and others. They plan to continue growing their program and saving students money.  Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

"The Bible and Music" by James McGrath, Ph.D., Clarence L. Goodwin Chair in New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University, is an interactive resource that explores the intersection of music and faith

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Interesting to Consider >>

Open Educational Resources Through The European Lens | Info Justice

Promoting Access to Diverse Learning Opportunities through Open Resources, Equity, and Accessibility | 

Faculty Focus

The Humanities as a Resource in Delivering Public Administration Courses | PA Times

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

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