The rising cost of textbooks has made education inaccessible for many and has impacted the grades of many more. In alignment with NIU’s goals of addressing student recruitment and retention, student success, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Course Material Affordability Task Force was launched in spring 2021 to advocate for and support the adoption of free and low-cost textbooks and other course materials. Initially conceived as a collaboration between the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning and University Libraries, the task force now includes teaching faculty from across the institution and welcomes all those interested in championing this cause.
The first objective of the task force was to better understand how course materials are chosen by faculty and the impact course material costs have on students. To this end, all NIU faculty and teaching assistants were invited to complete a brief survey about how they’ve incorporated no-cost or low-cost course materials in their teaching. A summary of the survey results are available on the Course Materials Task Force website as well as a listing of courses taught with low-cost or zero-cost course materials as self-reported by respondents.
In May, members of the task force conducted a session at the Online Teaching Symposium entitled “Increase Access, Decrease Costs: Transitioning your Courses to Low- or No-Cost Materials.” A workshop version of this session will be offered online twice a semester starting this fall to help faculty search for and evaluate potential no- or low-cost ma-terials to use in their courses.
What you can do to support the course materials affordability initiative?
- Check out the Finding and Accessing Content for Courses: Free, Open, and Affordable Materials LibGuide for useful resources.
- Contact your subject specialist librarian to discuss where and how to find low or no cost materials for specific courses.
- Register for “Increase Access, Decrease Costs: Finding Low- or No-Cost Materials for your Course,” Wednesday, September 29, 1-2pm, online.
- Join the task force! Contact Jason Rhode, Executive Director, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, or Fred Barnhart, Dean, University Libraries, for more information.
Larissa Garcia
