Seventeen Western instructors awarded OER grants

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The University Libraries at Western Michigan University awarded Open Educational Resources (OER) grants to 17 Western faculty and instructors in 2024. The grants are anticipated to save *over 1,900 students an estimated $175,000 in textbook costs based on projected course enrollment in 2024 and 2025.

Western students in courses funded by the OER grants have saved an *estimated $1.3 million in textbook costs since the grants launched in 2019. The Libraries expanded the grant program in 2022 to help faculty create open textbooks for Western students and learners worldwide. 

The OER grants help instructors replace their commercial textbooks with an OER or develop a new one that Western students and learners globally can use instead of commercial textbooks. Paying for textbooks out of pocket is a burden for some students, and courses using free OER can be a financial relief.  

Western students taking a course with a grant-funded OER textbook say they appreciate the ease of access and financial relief.

"I remember feeling so relieved at the beginning of the semester when I found out that I did not have to buy a textbook,” shared one student in a post-course OER survey.

“It makes me feel like the professor truly cares about their students and wants everyone to succeed, not just the students who can afford the textbook. I know that there are cheap options out there, such as renting, but sometimes finding and buying the right textbooks can be a huge stressor."

*Savings calculated based on estimated course enrollment and textbook costs in grant applications. Enrollment and cost may vary per class.

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