Open Educational Resources (OER) are materials used in teaching that are copyrighted and openly licensed for free use and sharing. Adopting an open textbook can lead to more affordable degree programs for students, and may help instructors gain flexibility in teaching as they are often able to modify and adapt the materials in ways not provided by traditionally copyrighted textbooks.
The Student Government Association (SGA) and the Division of Student Life traditionally provide funds to establish grant opportunities for UT faculty and instructors to propose open textbook and OER adoptions, adaptations, and creation. Click here for more information about UT’s Open Textbook/OER Grant Program.
Awards
In 2016, UT’s Student Government Association (SGA) established the SGA Open Education Awards. The Libraries’ Scholars’ Collaborative and Libraries’ Dean’s Student Advisory Committee offer support for the awards annually.
The Open Education Working Group promotes greater awareness of open textbooks among faculty and instructors. The working group has been instrumental to the success of open textbook adaptations and to UT’s Open Education/OER Grant Program (see above). In 2021, the Open Education Working Group formed the Open Education Advisory Board, welcoming the support and guidance of students and additional units across campus, each of are invested in furthering OER and other course material affordability initiatives.