OER Grants

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.

Applicants must be teaching a spring, summer or fall 2024 course to be eligible.

If selected, you must commit to the following:

1. Meet with the Scholarly Communications Librarian. 
2. Provide a syllabus for the course(s) for which you are adopting an open educational resource in lieu of a commercial textbook.
3. Complete a survey on your experience after teaching the class using the open resource.
4. Ask your students to complete an optional survey about their experience with OER.

The use of funds is entirely at the discretion of the grant recipient.

Funds will be disbursed upon completion of the project. Funds can be paid to individuals (taxed) or deposited into research accounts which must be used according to the WMU Research Acceleration Program (WRAP) policy.

Applications will be evaluated based on cost savings, as well as the number of students potentially impacted.

Grant applications for undergraduate courses with high enrollment will receive priority consideration.

• Anna Buss, PHYS 1070 – Elementary Physics and PHYS 1130 – General Physics
• Dr. Sharon Gill, BIOS 4390 – Animal Behavior
• Jason Johnson, CYCS 1200 – Programming in C for Cybersecurity
• Dr. Adam Matthews, GEOG 5670 – Geodata Handling and Mapping
• Dr. Viva Nsair, MGMT 2500 – Organizational Behavior
• Dr. Heather Petcovic, GEOS 3010 – Minerals and Rocks
• M Sanyat Rabby, PHYS 1150 – General Physics II
• Dr. Tiffany Schriever, BIOS 1620 – Ecology and Evolution
• Dr. Wuwei Shen, CS 4900 – Software Systems Development
• Dr. Zoann Snyder, SOC 2600 – Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Dr. Li Yang, GEOG 4180 – Tourism Planning and Development

Submit an application for the creation grant which articulates your plan to develop an openly licensed book and any supplemental materials for an existing course at WMU, including the following: 

1. Briefly describe your expertise in the specific subject area of the proposed open textbook. Also, describe your experience in teaching the course for which you are creating the OER or open text. 
2. Explain how your OER creation will impact student success, including potential financial savings for students. 
3. Project description and goals: Provide a detailed description of your project, including information about the course and why OER may be appropriate to use. 
4. Justification for creating a new OER: Demonstrate that quality OER are not currently available to meet learning objectives. Attach additional documentation as needed. Examples include searches in OER repositories, evidence of review of existing OER materials, etc.  
5. Provide an accessibility statement: how will the new OER be accessible for students with disabilities.  
6. Articulate an assessment plan of the impact and effectiveness of the OER on student learning 
7. Provide a sustainability plan after the end of the project.  
8. Provide a project timeline. The project should be completed within 18 months of the announcement of the award.  
9. Inclusion of a statement of support from the department chair is strongly encouraged. The statement should address other courses for which the open text could potentially be used, department curricular plans for the subject matter of the OER, the particular qualifications of the author(s) on the subject matter, or any other relevant information.

If selected, you must commit to the following:

1. Meet with the Scholarly Communications Librarian to go over project plans.
2. Plan to implement the resource in class for at least two semesters.
3. Submit a mid-progress report and final report.
4. Publish the OER with a Creative Commons license.
5. House the OER in WMU’s institutional repository, ScholarWorks.
6. Satisfy the requirements for inclusion in the Open Textbook Library and complete the submission process.
7. Oversight and submission of a student survey of experience with the resource.
8. Share experience and outcomes for development for future OER creation.

The grant program is intended to compensate awardees for the time invested in writing, creating and developing a new open text, as well as supplementary materials (such as test banks, homework assignments and laboratory manuals). Funds may also be used to purchase necessary software for the project or to pay for outside consultation, research assistance, etc.

Funds will be disbursed upon completion of the project unless applicants make a case for needing funds for expenses to be incurred during the development process. Funds can be paid to individuals (taxed) or deposited into research accounts which must be used according to the WMU Research Acceleration Program (WRAP) policy.

Proposals will be evaluated using a rubric that balances the following criteria:

Objectives

The proposals objectives are clearly articulated and well planned. The rationale for approaching the project is clear and the applicant has reflected on the work necessary to make the project a success.

Impact

The proposal clearly and convincingly articulates how their open text will significantly impact individual courses, address disciplinary gaps in open content, and/or impact student learning

Cost savings

The combination of previous textbook costs, student enrollment, frequency of the course offered means that the OER is likely to create extensive cost savings for students.

Feasibility and sustainability

The proposal’s timeline is feasible and clearly aligns with the work required to complete the proposed project. Proposal provides a clear plan for revising and updating content, both minor and major revisions.

Inclusiveness and cultural relevance

The proposal clearly demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through an exploration of the following: including diverse perspectives, serving populations disproportionately affected by textbook costs, and/or making the OER accessible for all students.

Accessibility

The proposal addresses principles of Universal Design, user experience and accessibility for students with disabilities.

Assessment

The assessment plan addresses how both the OERs quality and student learning outcomes will be addressed

Letters of support

The application includes strong letters of support from the department chair or similar person with knowledge of the proposed project.  

• Dr. Vickie Edwards, PADM 2000 – Introduction to Nonprofit Leadership
• David Paul, PHIL 2000 – Introduction to Philosophy
• Dr. Mariola Pérez de la Cruz, SPAN 3220 – Life and Culture of Spain
• Dr. Diane Riggs, REL 2100 – Religions of the World