Get Started with OER
Adopt
Adopt an existing textbook or other educational resource which significantly reduces costs for students.
Adapt
Adapt one or more existing OER, customized to your instructional needs.
Create
Create or author new learning materials that will be licensed openly.
OER Grants
USU Libraries is committed to reducing barriers to student success through the use of open educational resources. In partnership with Academic and Instructional Services, and various colleges across campus, the OER Team is excited to offer grants to support instructors interested in adopting, adapting, or creating OER. Learn more about OER grants.
Call for Proposals
Grant applications for 2022 are now open!
I like OER because it's a great supplemental resource and great for students. It's accessible and economical for a Gen Ed course.
BIOL 1010: Biology and the Citizen
Jennifer Burbank’s biology courses have saved students over $500,000, and that number grows every semester. For Jennifer, the biggest benefits of OER are accessibility and affordability. She also teaches Concurrent Enrollment Biology 1010 and remarked that OER is extremely helpful for high school students in rural areas who can't afford or readily access a traditional textbook. Jennifer Burbank’s courses have helped Utah State University students keep their education affordable and accessible.
I've loved the flexibility of OER. Flexible for students to study with and for our faculty to innovate and possibly adapt.
USU 1730: Strategies for Academic Success
Melanie Chambers played a key role in standardizing an OER textbook across all USU 1730 courses and continues to advocate for OER in her department. She loves that students have immediate access to the book, especially since her course is only seven weeks long. Chambers believes that OER helps prepare incoming freshmen to use online materials in future courses and helps students find out what study methods work for them. Melanie is a top advocate for OER at Utah State University.
I like leveling the playing field and making it affordable for everyone.
Statewide Learning
Dr. Carla Endres has used OER to innovate her teaching and further students’ education in creative ways. Her students, particularly non-traditional students, benefit from lower costs and seamless access to learning materials through her use of OER. Dr. Endres likes the fact that OER are sustainable and can be updated continuously to remain current and correct. She is a former member of the Affordable Learning Resources Committee, where she supported efforts to extend affordable learning to all USU students across USU's statewide campuses.