Textbook prices are rising rapidly, putting enormous financial strain on students. As classroom resources with no copyright restrictions available in the public domain at little or no cost, open educational resources (OER) can help mitigate those expenses – while also providing adaptability and pedagogical advantages.

The College of Charleston Libraries provide many resources for faculty interested in using OER. This includes the OER Incentive Grant Program, which aims to improve the quality of instructional materials and provide financial relief for students by encouraging faculty to integrate OER materials in their courses with grants of up to $1,000. Faculty who are awarded OER Incentive Grants will integrate OER into at least one course offered during two separate semesters.

Faculty who are teaching in the 2020–21 academic year (fall and spring semesters) are invited to apply for OER Incentive Grants by the Nov. 1, 2019, deadline.

Proposals will be reviewed by the OER Committee, which is comprised of faculty, librarians and instructional technologists, and awards will be granted based on (1) successful completion of the Open Educational Resources Training and Development OAKS course administered by the College of Charleston Libraries and the Teaching and Learning Team; (2) submission of the final course syllabus, including a full list of required course materials and an OER syllabus statement; and (3) a subsequent assessment of their experience using OER, including the cost savings to students. Furthermore, grant recipients are expected to teach the OER Incentive Grant–supported class again in another semester.

Preference will be given to first-time applicants and to proposals for course sections offered on a recurring basis intended for first-, second- and third-year students (not special topics courses or senior seminars). In addition, courses that currently utilize OER or have little or no material costs to students will not be considered unless they are substantially revised during the award period.

Awards will be announced by Dec. 1, 2019. A training course for awardees will open Dec. 15, 2019. Selected instructors will receive their financial award after completion of the first OER Incentive Grant–supported course and the submission of their final report.

For more information, contact the OER Committee chair, Jason Coy.