In southwest Arkansas lies UA Cossatot, a small community college whose inspiring story resonates with themes of determination, collaboration, innovation, and the transformative power of open educational resources (OER). Cossatot Community College has four campuses with an average enrollment of about 1,300 and is a part of the University of Arkansas System. We lead the state in OER usage, but we didn’t get there overnight. We faced some challenges along the way to becoming the state leader in OER adoption, but commitment to our students and collective determination fueled our journey.
In 2015, UA Cossatot addressed the financial hardships textbook expenses created for its diverse student population. As the sole Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in a state with a 17% poverty rate, the nation’s seventh highest poverty rate, the imperative to remove financial barriers to higher education assumed paramount importance. In our initial research, it became clear that establishing an OER initiative was not only a viable economic alternative, but also the right thing to do for students.
With a mission statement emphasizing our commitment to improving the lives of those in our region by providing quality education and outstanding services while embracing diversity, it was obvious that the belief in equal educational opportunities for all demanded that we build an internal textbook rental and OER program, so we did.
Despite initial hesitations among faculty members apprehensive about departing from traditional textbooks and widespread sentiment that what we were attempting to do was impossible, UA Cossatot persisted, understanding that OER embodies a collective responsibility to nurture student achievement. The college diligently sought inclusive pathways for all stakeholders, ensuring that proponents of conventional textbooks could seamlessly transition to affordable alternatives. The collaborative effort between college administration, faculty, and staff underscores that OER is not merely about finances but a shared moral responsibility to ensure student welfare and academic success.
Open education is crucial to the future of education and addresses the challenges and needs of contemporary and future learning environments. For community colleges transitioning to OER, it doesn’t matter how big or small the college is, higher education leaders can step up to eliminate some of the financial barriers that students face. Recognizing that we can value traditional culture while embracing modern ways of thinking teaches us to respect both perspectives and know that we’re not bound by either. At UA Cossatot, we’ve learned a lot about open resources and Creative Commons and we’re eager to share that experience. UA Cossatot’s journey from OER novices to leading Arkansas with 76 percent of our courses using open resources exemplifies our commitment to the changing landscape that is education and illustrates a balanced approach to tradition and innovation within the future of learning in a constantly evolving educational landscape.
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[Session 7E]: Practice and Policy in OE (workshops)Author KeywordsInclusion diversity equity and access, Open educational practices, Open education policies and strategies, Open textbooks
