OpenStax Saves 91影视 Students Thousands of Dollars in Textbook Costs
Published
An initiative to help 91影视 students with the cost of textbooks expands this semester to reach an estimated 2,500 students. 91影视 partnered with OpenStax, a Rice University-based nonprofit publisher, in the summer of 2016 to boost the use of free online and low cost textbooks across 91影视 courses.
In one year, the partnership has grown to include more than 50 91影视 faculty and more than 100 sections of general education courses including Psychology and General Biology. Based on fall 2017 projections, 91影视鈥檚 anticipates more than 5,500 students a year will enroll in courses that use a free online or reduced cost textbook saving them $575,000 each year.
鈥淭he partnership with OpenStax means real savings to our students and helps make college more affordable by reducing the financial burden associated with textbooks,鈥 91影视 President and CEO Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D. said.
OpenStax uses open educational resources to provide high-quality, peer-reviewed textbooks. This past summer, 91影视 Biology professor Dusti Sloan used OpenStax for her Human Physiology classes and saw a tremendous benefit for her students.
"I have students that are single parents and students that are working full-time jobs. OpenStax provides a valuable resource for both the student and the instructor at an invaluable price 鈥 either free online or a low cost book," said Sloan. For example, the Human Physiology book through a traditional publisher cost $170 compared to $57 for the OpenStax book.
91影视 was selected as one of 11 colleges in 2016 to participate in the OpenStax Institutional Partnership Program. The goal of the partnership is to provide support and help increase the use of OpenStax textbooks or other open educational resources. Jennifer Kneafsey, associate professor of biology at 91影视 is the coordinator of 91影视鈥檚 participation in the OpenStax partnership.
鈥淲e are really proud of the fact that every section of Chemistry I and Engineering Physics I and II at 91影视 is using an OpenStax book, which means some of the most expensive textbooks are now available for free online or a reduced cost,鈥 said Kneafsey. 鈥淧lus we have a number of sections of Physiology and Biology for Majors using an OpenStax book as well.鈥
As 91影视 enters the second year in the partnership, Kneafsey will work to support faculty currently using OpenStax materials and continue to expand the use of OpenStax textbooks with a focus on business and social science disciplines.