Miami University
IN-41: Textbook Affordability

Textbook Alternatives & Open Educational Resources (OER): Home Website and Resources
https://libguides.lib.miamioh.edu/textbookalternatives

All Miami University full-time instructional faculty who have responsibility for teaching and/or coordinating a course are eligible for a variety of university initiatives designed to promote affordable and open educational resources. See below in both sections:

Alternative Textbook (Alt-Text) Program:

In this program, faculty work with library staff to develop a reading list comprised of resources pulled from Miami University Libraries’ purchased electronic collections (eBooks, electronic articles), legal online resources, and reading selections made in compliance with U.S. copyright law. Faculty members selected for this program receive a one-time amount for working successfully with Carla Myers (Scholarly Communications Coordinator) as well as their Subject Liaison Librarian to identify educational resources that students can access for free (through the Library) that can serve as a substitute for a textbook. The amount of funding (ranging from $25-50) will depend on the number of students impacted and/or the complexity of securing the identified resources.

https://www.miamioh.edu/academic-affairs/teaching/open-educ-res/alt-text-program/index.html

Course Pack Consultation Service:

In an effort to help address affordability issues in higher education, the Course Pack Consultation Service (CPCS), allows faculty to reduce or eliminate the costs associated with reading-based course packs for students. Faculty participating in the CPCS will work with a librarian who is a copyright expert and receive $200 in professional development funds at the conclusion of the consultation. The CPCS helps eliminate the course pack costs by taking advantage of best practices and exceptions found in U.S. copyright law, including: (1) Whenever possible, linking to works made freely and legally available to students, such as the library’s online collections (article databases and eBooks) or other works made legally and freely available online by rights holders (e.g., a news story on the Washington Post website); (2) Considering fair use for making PDF copies of print works such as chapters from books available to students via the instructor’s Canvas course page;
(3) Seeking permission to use works that are not made freely and legally available online and that do not fall within the scope of one of the exceptions found in U.S. copyright law;
(4) Identifying alternate works in the library’s online holdings that can substitute for selected readings that could not otherwise be made freely and legally accessible to students.

https://www.miamioh.edu/academic-affairs/teaching/open-educ-res/oer-consultation-service/index.html

OER Adopt Program:

This program enables faculty to select an open educational resource to replace a commercially produced textbook for one of their courses and to assess its use in comparison to the traditional, commercial textbook. Up to three amounts of $500.00 in professional development funds will be transferred upon successful completion of each phase ($1500.00 total).

https://www.miamioh.edu/academic-affairs/teaching/open-educ-res/oer-adopt/index.html

OER Explore Program:

This program is ideal for faculty who are not familiar with Open Educational Resources in their field. Faculty are offered a one-time award of $200 for completing the following steps: (1) Participate in a two-hour workshop that provides an overview of Open Educational Resources (OER) (2) Review an existing OER from the Open Textbook Library, and (3) Write an outline review of the OER.

https://www.miamioh.edu/academic-affairs/teaching/open-educ-res/oer-explore/index.html

ASG Affordable Education Leader Award:

Selected in partnership with the Affordable & Open Educational Resources Committee and the Associated Student Government, this award is given annually to a continuing Miami faculty member (tenure-track, tenured, TCPL faculty, instructor) on any campus who demonstrates compelling and significant impact in areas related to affordable and open educational resources. Examples of impact include (but are not limited to):

(1) Adopting or adapting free course texts;
(2) Providing free electronic notes or textbook alternatives;
(3) Using or incorporating free educational resources or materials in classes;
(4) Creating open educational resources;
(5) Publicly sharing research, works, projects or other educational resources on the Scholarly Commons or other scholarly repository;
(6) Championing the goal of making use of free and affordable educational resources beyond the faculty member’s own classroom (e.g., presentations, publications, coordinating use of an OER across multiple courses or sections of courses).

https://www.miamioh.edu/academic-affairs/teaching/open-educ-res/asg-leader-award/index.html

Contact - Carla Myers, Scholarly Communications Coordinator, at myersc2@MiamiOH.edu or 513-529-3935.