Western receives 20K to fund Open Educational Resources

Western Colorado University is proud to announce it is one of 20 state institutions selected to receive a $20,000 grant toward providing Open Educational Resources (OER) to students.

OER are resources available to students for little to no cost, typically used for teaching, learning or research. Last year Colorado’s General Assembly passed H.B. 18-1331, which established a grant program and OER Council to review proposals for funding to support OER.

The 20 grants total nearly $550,000 in funding for OER projects throughout the state.

Western’s proposal, titled “OER Innovation at Western Colorado University: A Rural University’s Role in Shaping Equitable Higher Learning Spaces,” will allow students new opportunities and more affordable course materials to create a more equitable educational environment.

“We are excited to announce our first faculty cohort … for adopting Open Educational Resources here at Western. These incredible faculty members will be adopting OER over the next year to create dynamic curriculum and transformative savings for students,” said Western Director of Library Services Dustin Fife. “They were chosen from an incredibly competitive candidate pool.”

Western’s cohort includes Matthew Aronson, Cindy Whitney, Lynn Sikkink, Phil Crossley, Brian Dalton, Salif Mahamane and Zachary Treisman.

In an official release, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said: “I applaud the work of the commission to bolster innovation and save our students money. These grants will no doubt have a huge impact on the future of OER and inspire other higher education institutions in the state to follow suit with creative and impactful solutions.”