Advocating for Student Course Material Affordability: Selling STEM Faculty on OER

Abstract

Presented at STEM Librarians South Conference on July 19, 2019. ; With the cost of course materials outpacing the rate of inflation, students are struggling to afford necessary materials and, as a result, are suffering academically. What can the library as an institution built on student success and information access do to address this? One solution is advocating for greater faculty adoption of open educational resources (OER) to alleviate the cost burdens currently placed on students. Due to their subject knowledge and existing faculty relationships, STEM Liaison Librarians especially can serve as ideal advocates for OER. This presentation will introduce attendees to OER, including federal and state legislative mandates, with an emphasis on STEM applications. A case study from a R1 research university will cover approaches and examples to programmatically engaging with faculty in the biosciences regarding the use and creation of OER. ; UT Libraries