Submit an application for the adoption grant which demonstrates how a textbook that students were previously required to purchase will be replaced with an openly licensed resource or combination of openly licensed resources and library options, such as course reserves or use of library-provided ebooks.
Open Textbook Grants
The open textbook grant initiative provides a financial incentive for Western Michigan University faculty and instructors to switch from traditional expensive textbooks to high-quality, free open textbooks.
Congratulations to the May 2022 grant recipients!
Creation Grant
- Dr. Leah Omilion-Hodges and Dr. Annette Hamel, COMM 3350 – Leadership Communication
- Dr. Mercedes Tubino-Blanco, SPAN 2000 – Intermediate Spanish and SPAN 2010 – Intermediate Spanish II
Adoption Grant
- Dr. Jennifer Bott, MGMT 2500 – Organizational Behavior
- Kyle Jehnzen, AVS 3220 – Global Navigational and International Flight Planning
- Kyle Jehnzen and Jessica Birnbaum, AVS 2120 – Aviation Meteorology
- Dr. Robert Makin, ECE 3800 – Probabilistic Methods of Signal and System Analysis
- Dr. Tiffany Schriever, BIOS 5515 – Wetland Ecology
- Dr. Wuwei Shen, CS 4610 – Reusable Software Architectures
- Dr. Li Yang, GEOG 3100 – Introduction to Tourism
- Dr. Zee-Sun Yun, FCS 2050 – Topics in Family and Consumer Sciences, Digital Retailing (Spring 2023) and FCS 3290 – Promotion in the Merchandising Environment (Fall 2022)
Background
Colleges and universities have developed open textbooks and course content in response to concerns about the affordability of traditional textbooks. Textbook prices have risen 1,041% since 1977, higher than medical costs and the Consumer Price Index.
Many students who can’t afford their textbooks have found a simple, but concerning solution—they don’t buy them. According to research sponsored by Florida Virtual Campus in 2018, 64% of students did not purchase a required textbook. In addition, 42% of students took fewer courses and 22% dropped a course due to textbook costs. Open textbooks and course content provide an alternative to expensive textbooks.
Adoption Grant
Watch for another Adoption Grant opportunity coming soon.
The Adoption Grant encourages WMU faculty and instructors to adopt an open textbook or open course content. Adopting an open educational resource not only provides cost savings to students but also allows customization of content to meet your students' learning needs. It can also be specifically tailored to your teaching style and course development needs.
Creation Grant
Watch for another Creation Grant opportunity coming soon.
The Creation Grant supports WMU faculty and instructors in the creation of an original, openly licensed textbook. Creating an open educational resource not only provides your students with high-quality learning content but it helps students everywhere. Developing resources with this level of reach and impact can be a valuable addition to your professional profile.
Questions about the grants?
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Ask Michele Behr
Our scholarly communications and open educational resources librarian is here to answer any questions you might have about either open textbook grant.
Learn more about OER
Check out our site to learn what OER is, where to find it, how to adapt and create it, and more.