Faculty are encouraged to join the growing campus community of Open Educational Resource users by applying to the Course Materials Conversion Program, a partnership between University of Arkansas Libraries and Global Campus. Through this program, faculty have the option each semester to apply for compensation to reduce the cost of textbooks for their students. The Spring 2023 Call for Proposals is now open, with applications due March 3.
Successful applicants can receive $3,000 for adopting Open Educational Resources, $4,500 for adapting them or $7,500 for creating their own. The Open Educational Resources webpage provides program compensation details.
Submitted project applications are reviewed and scored by the Open Educational Resources team and campus advisory group. Individual project consultations may be requested at any time in the process.
The information session Introduction to OER for Faculty Authors is set for noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, and will provide an introduction to the principles and practices related to the creation and use of open educational materials. The meeting will be held virtually via Teams, and registration is required.
The OER Course Materials Conversion Program began providing funding to faculty in 2017. Since then, 54 faculty have reduced the cost of course materials for their students by participating in the program.