JANUARY 17, 2024 — UTSA Libraries announces the recipients of its Adopt-a-Free-Textbook grants for the 2023-24 academic year. Seven grants have been awarded to 11 faculty members for their commitment to adopting or creating free or Open Educational Resource (OER) textbooks as the primary instructional materials in their courses. These grants will result in substantial student savings, totaling $552,686 over the course of the grant period.
OERs are teaching and learning materials available to students at no cost. These resources, created and tailored by faculty, are openly licensed, allowing for reuse, adaptation and distribution.
Since launching the OER program in 2016, UTSA has awarded 156 faculty grants, representing a minimal investment of $235,000. Generous contributions from supporters such as Scott Sawtelle and Kathleen Curry have played a significant role in sustaining this program. UTSA has led the way among Texas colleges in implementing open educational resources, with the Adopt-a-Free Textbook grant program resulting in over $10 million in student savings.
“Our faculty are eager to adopt OER to remove the hurdles that traditional textbooks pose for their students.”
