Open Educational Resources (OER) & Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Program
There are a lot of things that can get in the way of a good education. The cost of textbooks shouldn’t be one of them.
The dramatic increase in the cost of textbooks has created equity and accessibility barriers for students. College of Marin has actively addressed these by providing support and resources for faculty to implement Open Educational Resources (OER) in their classroom. The number of courses that offer OER, as an alternative to a costly textbook, at COM has grown in the last 6 years via the Zero Textbook Cost program and the Library Textbook Program. Although these programs have provided a solid foundation for textbook affordability, the grant for these programs has ended. The college is continuing to support the work that has been done, and future/current efforts through participation in the statewide Zero Textbook Cost Degree Grant (ZTC) program. Specific departments/pathways have been identified for this program, but all faculty at the college can still get involved.
How can faculty get involved?
- If you currently use OER in your course, let your Department Chair and OER Librarians know so that we can keep track of which courses are already using OER.
- Let students know your course uses OER by adding the ZTC icon to the class schedule
- If you are interested in OER and don’t know where to start, reach out to COM’s OER librarians. There are digital and print options to help meet the needs of your students.
- Check out the OER and ZTC research guide for information on how to find, create and remix OER, as well as read research on the impact of OER
- Look for and attend OER workshops on campus during flex week and on a continuing basis throughout the year.
Students: Find ZTC classes in the online schedule designated as ZTC in textbooks column. 