In 2017, the campus joined the SUNY OER initiative, the goal of which was to incentivize faculty to explore, adopt, or create open educational resources as a means to reduce the cost of college attendance by decreasing traditional textbook costs. Hudson Valley received more than $80,000 in SUNY funds to create these opportunities; as of this month, the funds are now fully expended. Here’s a recap of the initiative’s success:
- More than $80,000 received from SUNY
- 140 faculty and DCs completed one of the six, three-hour workshops delivered by the library in-person or online since 2018
- $15,700 awarded for workshop completion or participation
- 116 OER course adoptions successfully proposed by faculty, reviewed by the library for alignment with SUNY OER guidelines, and approved by DCs
- $51,000 awarded for successful course proposals
- $11,000 provided for professional development (conference travel, workshop registration fees)
- 96% of award expended for faculty incentives and professional development support; only 4% (less than $4,000) used for related expenses (purchase/copying of print OER materials, hospitality for workshops)
- Potential student savings related to the initiative exceed $2 million
In fall 2021, more than 150 course sections use OER as primary texts!
The initiative is now considered a sustainable campus activity, reflecting routine, rather than exceptional, practice. Many thanks to faculty champions, DCs, the OER steering committee, and particularly to library faculty/staff Stephanie Ross, Val Waldin, Sarah Romeo, and Kisha Sawyers, who have led the OER initiative to its current sustainable and flourishing state.
In summary, faculty stipends for workshop completion and OER adoption are no longer available. OER adoption is strictly a departmental decision without need for library consultation/review. Faculty interested in OER may visit the library’s OER subject guide for additional information and are encouraged to confer with their librarian liaison. Please watch for OER professional development learning opportunities announced by the Center for Professional Excellence. Questions about OER and campus practices may also be directed to Brenda Hazard, library director.
Published: Wed, 08 Dec 2021 13:10:16 +0000 by b.hazard