The University of Northern Colorado Open Educational Resources (OER) Committee has announced the faculty members who were recently awarded stipends to transform a course from using commercial texts and course materials to implementing OER. Awardees will adopt, adapt, and create open educational resources and teach their newly revised courses implementing OER starting in fall 2021.  

This is the third UNC cohort to receive stipends in recognition of their work to evolve a course to using OER. Open Educational Resources remove cost barriers for students and can offer opportunities for innovative pedagogy. The UNC OER Committee reviewed applications and made the funding decisions.  

OER Course Adopt—Adapt—Create Award for Teams ($3,000 Award):  

Grants are awarded to small teams of two or more instructors who work together on a larger course (re)design. 

• Maggie Berg and Deborah Agar (Teacher Education) 
• Marian Hamilton and Britney Kyle (Anthropology) 
• Paul Hawkins and graduate students Allison Renegar and Naya Russell-Copich (Criminology and Criminal Justice) 

OER Course Adopt—Adapt—Create Award for Individuals ($1,500 Award): 

Grants are awarded to individual instructors who (re)design a single course. 

• Mike Aldridge (Nursing)  
• Mary Brewer, Voice (Music)  
• Erin Moser (Human Services)  
• Kim Murza (Audiology and Speech-Language Sciences)  
• Mike Ortiz (History)  
• Victoria Terranova (Criminology and Criminal Justice) 
• Greg Williams (Political Science and International Affairs) 

David Greene, Ph.D, associate professor in the Department of Human Services and past stipend winner, began using OER during the fall of 2020. He has found OER to perfectly address the trifecta of course design; reasonable cost, academic fit and academic integrity. He has also found that student feedback has been very positive along all three dimensions. 

“The easiest rationale for moving to OER is the cost savings for students, but I felt that cost could only be secondary to the academic integrity and rigor of the class,” Greene said. “Fortunately, I found that the broad, interdisciplinary nature of the Human Services was a perfect fit for OER materials. I was able to pull resources across relevant disciplines including Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Human Development, and Sociology. The textbooks I had been using were not designed for the unique combination of emphases in our program (community health, rehabilitation services, and gerontology).  

“I believe educating Human Services workers needs to be adaptable to our rapidly changing environment, funding, and community needs. Traditional textbooks are behind the curve. OER allowed me a better opportunity to fit reading materials to the class and provided the flexibility to update the course to current trends and issues.” 

Funding is provided by a grant from the Colorado Department of Higher Education. 

For questions about the OER program, please contact jen.mayer@unco.edu or oscar.levin@unco.edu.