In June 2021, the Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona project was awarded $801,218 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). In August 2022, that amount was increased by $1,198,782 for a total of $2 million.
Led by Yavapai College, this regional collaborative of eight community colleges developed Open Educational Resources, or OERs, to reduce the amount of money students must spend on textbooks. The other institutions that partnered with Yavapai College were Arizona Western College, Central Arizona College, Cochise College, Coconino Community College, Eastern Arizona College, Mohave College, and Northland Pioneer College.
"We just submitted our final report for the Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona grant,” Yavapai College Director of Academic Initiatives and the current OERizona Board President Megan Crossfield said. “This was a four-year, $2 million U.S. Department of Education grant led by Yavapai College.
Some high-level cumulative outcomes from all eight partner institutions include 171 faculty members who developed and implemented OER; 30,306 students benefitted from grant-funded OER-supported courses; and $3.56 million in student textbook cost savings."
The four-year Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona initiative fostered the creation and provision of free, open-source materials instead of costly traditional textbooks.
OERs have been gaining popularity across the nation, and the world, to offset the cost of college textbooks. Once regarded as an incidental expense, college textbook costs have risen by more than 142% since 1998. In an era with many students already burdened by loan debt, high textbook costs have often restricted collegiate ambitions or prevented them altogether.
The Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona project commenced in September 2021, with the goal of converting 31 courses to OER materials by August 31, 2024. Yavapai College’s own OER grant initiative has received an enthusiastic student response, resulting in $532,354 in student cost savings.
Yavapai College continues to serve as a statewide leader in advancing OER, coordinating collaborative efforts that expand students' access to affordable learning materials across Arizona. Since 2020, Yavapai College students have saved more than $5.5 million in textbook costs through OER adoption.
Today, approximately 40% of all course sections at the college use free or low-cost open materials. Several academic departments have nearly fully transitioned to OER, including mathematics, where 95% of courses use open resources, and business, where 90% of courses, including those in bachelor’s programs, use OER.
For further information on the FIPSE, please visit their website at www.ed.gov/FIPSE/. To learn more about the Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona project, and the availability of OER materials, please contact Megan Crossfield, Director of Academic Initiatives and the current OERizona Board President at 928-717-7627 or Megan.Crossfield@yc.edu.
The contents of this press release were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Yavapai College operates seven campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, four baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about Yavapai College, visit www.yc.edu.
