Faculty Members Invited to Participate in Open Educational Resources Institute
SUNY Brockport is one of 48 institutions selected to participate in the 2023–24 Institute on Open Educational Resources, sponsored by The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
This yearlong institute supports educators in launching, expanding, or hastening campus adoption of free and affordable instructional materials. The institute began with a two-day virtual kickoff event on July 24–25, 2023, and will conclude with a capstone closing event on June 10–11, 2024.
Open educational resources (OER) are educational materials, from single lessons to entire textbooks, that are free for faculty and students to use, customize, and share. Use of OER can reduce performance gaps, lower failure and withdrawal rates, and result in significant cost savings for students and institutions. As a result, providing all students with free materials on the first day of class tends to level the academic playing field.
The Brockport team includes:
- Co-leaders Mary Jo Orzech (Library) and Jie Zhang (Education and Human Development)
- Angela Thompsell (History)
- Jennifer Wood (Social Work)
- Trish Ralph (Theatre)
- Tony DeFranco (SUNY OER Services)
Campus teams will have consultative opportunities to partner with institute faculty throughout the year as their plans are implemented. Monthly webinars and cross-institutional planning meetings are hallmarks of the yearlong Institute.
At Brockport, they will be complemented by a campus OER Faculty Learning Community to share best practices and expand impact. Brockport’s participation is supported by Drake Library, CELT, and SUNY OER. Interested faculty are encouraged to contact Mary Jo Orzech.