Creating Affordable Content Programs
Kimberly Johnson and Karen Pikula
by Kimberly Johnson and Karen Pikula (both from Minnesota State) (bios)
Introduction: Context for Minnesota State
Minnesota State, one of the largest public postsecondary systems in the United States, is comprised of seven universities and 30 two-year community and technical colleges on 54 campuses across the state. The system employs nearly 9,000 teaching faculty and serves approximately 400,000 students each year, offering certificates and degrees in technical, pre-baccalaureate, baccalaureate, graduate, and applied doctoral disciplines. Across the system, nearly one in four students is classified as low-income. Tuition rates continue to rise and our system struggles with equity in access and completion. With research showing that lowering or removing textbook costs makes higher education more accessible and results in greater student success (Fischer, Hilton, Robinson, & Wiley, 2015), the issue of increasing access and affordability for students through reducing or eliminating costs for course materials has the potential to impact our students in multiple, positive ways.
In recent years we’ve seen a rapid expansion of interest in open educational resources (OERs) across our campuses, largely due to the efforts of Minnesota State college and university student associations.
In recent years we’ve seen a rapid expansion of interest in open educational resources (OERs) across our campuses, largely due to the efforts of Minnesota State college and university student associations. Students United, the university student association, has identified affordability (which includes advocacy for tuition changes as well as costs for materials) as one of its “issue campaigns” for 2017–2018. And LeadMN, the college student association, has an extensive Affordable Textbooks Campaign, with a student toolkit, OER pledge forms for students and faculty, and a contest to collect student stories. Student representatives serve on system-wide councils and committees, and have also taken their concerns about the cost of course materials to the state legislature, resulting in dedicated OER funding to Minnesota State in the last budget cycle. The issue of affordable content has thus received the attention of nearly everyone in this large state postsecondary system.
In response to the legislation and to interest across the Minnesota State system, the system’s Educational Innovations program offered grants for the 2015–16 academic year to raise awareness and encourage the adoption of OERs. Some institutions used grant dollars to create faculty support and development opportunities, and it became apparent that these elements were critical to the adoption of OERs. At Central Lakes College (CLC) the OER faculty development work, led by psychology professor Karen Pikula, emerged as an impressive and effective approach to encouraging and supporting faculty. Kimberly Johnson, Director for Faculty Development