Affordability and Accessibility of Instructional Materials - Call for Proposals

Dear Colleagues,

The Idaho State University community is interested in the affordability and accessibility of course materials for our students, especially our first-generation students in Southeast Idaho. Accordingly, the Office of Academic Affairs and ISU’s Open Educational Resource (OER) Committee are looking to support faculty who would like to seek out and adopt Open Educational Resources or very-low-cost alternatives.  

This OER proposal process is intended to provide faculty with support for the modification, revision, or adoption of OER resources (or very-low-cost options) to replace more expensive textbooks. These proposals are for a course or courses taught during the fall of 2023 or spring of 2024. The stipend amount will be $1,200 per adoption and awarded at the beginning of the semester the course is taught. We will award at least 10 stipends for the upcoming academic year. Besides the adoption of an OER or very-low-cost resource to replace a textbook, the expectation is that each award recipient will meet with an Instructional Designer for feedback and develop a 5-minute presentation to be delivered during ISU’s 2024 Open Education Week in March. This presentation will include a discussion of the adoption process as well as student outcomes and any student reactions. ISU’s Open Education Week will be held in conjunction with the Idaho Open Education Week events.

 To be considered for one of these awards please complete and submit this brief proposal form by the end of the day on December 1, 2022. A subcommittee of ISU’s OER Committee will evaluate the proposals based on student impact, feasibility, and clarity. Awardees will be notified by January 15, 2023. Please reach out to Blake Beck (blakebeck@isu.edu or x5760) or Cindy Hill (hillcynt@isu.edu or x4945) with questions.. 

Thank you!

–– The Open Educational Resources Committee