Create Free or Affordable Course Materials

National studies confirm that the cost of course materials is a barrier to access and success in college, with some students taking fewer courses, failing courses or dropping out when they don’t have access to affordable course materials. In a 2019 survey of WSU students, 58% of respondents said they had not purchased a textbook for a course, and 62% of those students thought that not purchasing the textbook had a negative effect on their grade..

Stewart Library has been leading a coalition of campus partners in making course materials affordable since 2019. The library has invested in expanding a textbook lending library, working with faculty to use library- purchased and licensed materials as course readings, and administered multiple rounds of faculty grants to support the adoption, adaptation and creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) — course materials, including textbooks, that are free and licensed for sharing and remixing.

From fall 2021 to spring 2024, the library awarded $215,000 in grants to 34 faculty-led OER projects. Course materials created with these grants have collectively saved nearly 17,000 WSU students more than $1.75 million. Using the market price of the course materials replaced by these OER, we estimate nearly $500,000 in savings each semester they are in use.

Stewart Library seeks to sustain and expand the OER grant program, as well as other efforts to educate and support faculty in adopting and creating OER and expand the use of library-purchased resources in courses.

Funding Priorities

  • Expanded and stable funding for the OER grant program: $200,000 would cover four years of grants, allowing us to convert many general education and required major courses with high enrollments to OER.
  • Hiring staff to assist faculty in textbook/ course material design: $55,000 annually to hire student assistants, contract illustrators, and editing and design interns.
  • Assist faculty with finding and evaluating the quality and relevance of OER for their courses: $65,000 annually to add a full-time library staff member.

Wildcat Spotlight

Jim Hutchins

WSU’s Department of Health Sciences has converted entirely to OER materials, thanks to a dedicated effort by department faculty. Since its launch in May 2020, the department’s OER Anatomy & Physiology textbook alone has saved students nearly $600,000 — about 2,200 students per year have not had to purchase a publisher’s $270 textbook.

Professor Jim Hutchins describes himself as “passionate” about OER for many reasons. He believes they create a more collaborative relationship between students and faculty, and improve student engagement as they participate in the creation and implementation of new materials.

Then there are the obvious financial benefits: “When students wait until the next paycheck or until the first exam to buy materials, they can find themselves unable to catch up,” he said. “This problem is especially acute for first-generation students, who may not have thought about textbook costs in their projected college budget.”

Support the creation of OERs by making a gift today.

To learn more about Stewart Library's OER efforts, contact a Weber State University development director.