From Cailyn Nagle (PIRG)  | Volume 130 | May 27, 2021

 

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

 

CALIFORNIA: Governor Gavin Newsome released the revised version of his budget which includes $115 million in support for open educational resources and zero textbook cost degree pathways.This comes after an unexpected surplus in the state budget and is eight times larger than the original proposed funding in the first budget. While the final budget will need to be created and passed by the legislature, this is a firm statement of support for open from the state’s executive branch.

 

OREGON LEGISLATION: The Oregon legislature has passed a new legislation that will require at least 75% of public college courses to disclose the cost of materials to students before they register for their class. HB 2919 passed with bi-partisan support and awaits the Governor’s signature. Once signed, the bill would take effect December 2023. 

 

#OPENED21 CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The 2021 Open Education Conference has opened their call for proposals. Proposals can be both live or pre-recorded virtual sessions to be held on October 18-22. Proposals are enthusiastically welcomed from everyone with an interest in sharing about open education, especially from students. The deadline to submit your proposal is June 18th.

 

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

 

REGISTER NOW: UNESCO is holding a webinar on “Developing Supportive Policies for OER.” The webinar will take place online at 4pm CEST) June 17th.  Learn more here.

REGISTER NOW: Proposals and registration is now open for the first state-wide California OER Conference. Proposals are due July 4th. The virtual conference will take place August 4-6th. Learn more here.

APPLY NOW: Texas A&M University is accepting applications for the position of Emerging Technologies Librarian. The review of applications will begin June 9th. Learn more and apply here.

REGISTER NOW: Creative Commons is offering their next round of certification courses.The CC Certificate provides an in-depth study of Creative Commons licenses and open practices. The curriculum targets copyright law, CC legal tools, as well as the values and good practices of working in a global, shared commons. Learn more and register here.

 

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

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

 

FROM TEXAS: University of Texas San Antonio received a considerable donation from Scott Sawtelle and Kathleen Curry to support the library’s “Adopt-a-free Textbook” program. This $100,000 gift will go to help faculty adopt open textbooks on campus. As an alumni of UTSA himself, Sawtelle said, “Going to school and getting a degree is the first big statement in a young person’s life, and we hope we can help as many students as we can make that first big statement.” Over the past decade the program has already saved students over $8 million, with the expansion of funding they will be able to reach even more faculty.  Read More >>

FROM ARKANSAS: The Associated Student Government of University of Arkansas has joined the institutions U of A’s Open Educational Resources Team and Campus Advisory Group in funding the  Open Educational Resources Course Materials Conversion program. “Avery Hasten, the 2020-2021 ASG director of open education, has been an important contributor to our work this year and a tireless advocate for increasing funding for OER,” said Elaine Thorton, U of A open educational resource and distance learning librarian. With the existing and additional funding the program will be able to support nine new adoptions of open materials. Read More>>

FROM LOUISIANA: Professor Joseph Williams from Louisiana Tech University has received the Interactive Open Educational Resources for Dual Enrollment Program Grant from the Department of Education and the Louisiana Library Network. This grant will go to support the creation of new open resources in the field of business communication and has the potential to impact 200,000 students. “I’m interested in providing my business students with more real-world situations in which they have to think on their feet and make quick decisions,” shared Dr. Williams. Read More >>

FROM IDAHO: Governor Little signed a suite of bills addressing educational needs of the state including programs to help students impacted by COVID-19, workforce training programs, and improve collaboration between universities. Among these bills was $1 million to support zero textbook cost degree programs in community colleges. “We have a constitutional and moral obligation to prepare our students to become lifelong learners and eventual participants in our state’s workforce,” said Little. Read More >>

 

HOT OFF THE PRESS

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

From Temple University comes ¡Que viva la música!: Repaso de conversación en español by Dr. Norma Corrales-Martin. This fourth year Spanish language textbook is organized around nine songs and intended for conversational review.

 

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >> 

Finding and Integrating Open Educational Resources | InfOhio

Creating and Sharing Open Educational Resources | InfOhio 

3 Questions for Ed Tech and Publishing Expert David Harris | Inside Higher Ed

 

Interesting to Consider >> 

5 questions to ask now to shape blended learning of the future | World Economic Forum 

 

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.