Every student should have access to textbooks and other course materials so they have the opportunity to make the most out of their college experience. UNT supports a wide range of initiatives that address textbook accessibility, affordability of course materials, and effectiveness---all aimed at supporting student coursework and promoting success in their academic pursuits. These initiatives aim to provide options for students to have access to quality course materials and to support faculty in their efforts to adopt and implement effective reduced-cost or free textbooks and related course materials. Increasing textbook access to all students will have an impact on student success in UNT courses.
Want to get involved?
During the 2021 State of the University, the President of the University introduced several affordability inititatives that promote access to higher education including the need to address the high cost of textbooks! Learn more about these initiatives by watching or reading the transcript.
Thanks to funding as part of President Smatresk’s new affordability initiatives in Spring 2021, the UNT Libraries, UNT Press, and the VPAA Curricular Innovation & Academic Partnerships are pleased to announce three revamped programs to support full-time UNT faculty, including instructors and lecturers, in adopting, adapting, and creating affordable, accessible, and effective course materials for use in UNT courses.
Two of these programs are related to open educational resources (OER):
- OER Summer Grants – Task payments (supplemental salary) of up to $5,000 are available for faculty who will newly adopt or adapt an openly licensed textbook or other OER, or will adopt, adapt, or create ancillary materials for an existing open textbook or other OER, during Summer 2021.
- UNT Open Texts – This collaborative effort of the UNT Press and UNT Libraries supports faculty who wish to publish an open access textbook, with financial incentives of up to $10,000 for proposals submitted before September 1, 2021.
For questions regarding the OER Grants and Open Text proposal, contact scholarlycommunication@unt.edu
A third program offers another approach in addressing affordability:
While OER is a primary opportunity for addressing affordability, it is not an option for every course. VPAA Curricular Innovation & Academic Partnerships (CIAP) is offering task payments for faculty interested in adopting reduced-cost or curated course materials. Changing textbooks and digital materials requires a concerted effort with curricula changes and course structure revisions. CIAP will provide support resources for departments and individual instructors seeking to adopt less expensive course materials. Applications are due April 30th, apply here! Contact Mike.Simmons@unt.edu for general questions regarding this opportunity.