LibGuides: Affordable Course Materials and Open Educational Resources (OER) for Faculty: Communicating the Value of OER

Appeal to Administration

Below are the most important resources you can use when helping administrators understand the value of OER:

Compelling Reasons to Adopt OER for Senior Management
Gives an explanation of OER specifically for administrators. Includes information on marketing, quality, productivity, and institutional reputation.
Lumen Learning Impact Meter
Adjust the meter to match the data from your institution. This is the potential impact OER could have for your students! Includes total amount of money students are spending on textbooks as well as how much each learning objective costs in comparison.
Open Textbooks: A Policy Guide
Provides current, relevant information on the textbook issue for students. Also gives sample programs and information on how to get grants and develop robust programs around OER.

Making the Case for Open Education, Part 1
Publishing models: Adding information
- Open Oregon Educational Resources
Making the Case for Open Education, Part 2
OER program models: Causal loop diagrams
- Open Oregon Educational Resources
Making the Case for Open Education P. 3
Balancing economic and academic arguments: A Goldilocks problem.
Includes a link to the Crosswalk Equity and Open Ed spreadsheet that links OE values to mission statements.
- Open Oregon Educational Resources

Possible Stakeholders to Discuss OER with:

Department Head- what will support within the department be?
Dean- will there be administrative support? Can the school collaborate with other schools?
Bookstore- how should they be notified? How will this affect them? Could they play a role in printing or other distribution? Could students order OER directly from them?
Director of College LMS/ educational technology- considerations in loading and accessing content
ADA expert- how will these materials be accessible?

Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources Promo Kit
Includes a glossary, sample policies, marketing materials, and case studies to help get buy in from stakeholders. Be sure to download the needs assessment as a starting point.
CCCOER Policy Models
Mostly policies that R1 universities are currently implementing but can still be helpful as a framework.
Why OER Matter Handout from SPARC
Provides statistics about rising textbook costs.
Exploring the Business Case for OER Open Book (2012)
Explores the economics of adopting an OER policy in more detail, including how it can increase retention.
Why Open Education Matters Video (2017)
Blink Tower's winning entry in the Creative Commons Why Open Education Matters video contest.
ACRL Post: Alternate Textbooks + Engaged Students = Retention Value
Covers cutting costs for students and impact.
COOL4Ed Faculty and Course Showcases