OPEN CU [1]

Open CU is based on a premise of openness and collective impact across CU’s four campuses and beyond.

Title: 5 Years of Open Education across CU System 2024 Savings Total: $1,213,206.25 Total Cost Savings: $3,890,533.14 $330,000 of state funding over five years resulted in $3.8 million in student cost savings and growing. Campus shout outs: UCCS - OER recognized in faculty tenure and promotion. CU - Created OER faculty fellow. CU Anschutz - Building a nursing Z-degree. CU Boulder - Leading open pedagogy and student advocacy. Open Education Growth Since 2019: Open education implemented in 162 courses across the CU system. Over 10,600 students have used OER in a student course. Representation of demographically different voices, use of inclusive pedagogy, and materials’ accessibility. Low and no-cost course markings available upon registration system-wide. Z-Degree Development: CU Denver is creating Z-degree pathways in the mathematics BS, mathematics minor, and data science certificate. Anschutz is building a Z-degree for nursing BS and nursing BS pathway with FT. Lewis College. Open Education: OER - Free and reusable teaching/learning materials. Open Pedagogy - Students create and share knowledge. Z- Degree - Zero cost textbook and materials.

Each campus brings Open Educational Resources (OER) expertise, resources, and practices for awareness and adoption to the shared table, all of which are customized to meet campus needs and cultures. By working together, the campuses succeed in their common goal of increasing the reach of quality OER experience and cost savings for students.

In 2020-2022, the Open CU initiative continues to:

Ensure that the Open CU campus teams (including teaching and learning centers, libraries, offices of information technology, and accessibility units) continue to deliver high-quality awareness and adoption workshops to additional educators and assisting educators with their course redesign efforts.
Provide financial incentives to faculty to adapt or create OER content that is fully accessible, discoverable, and openly-licensed.
Targeting educators teaching high school concurrent enrollment courses for participation.
Build a cadre of educator experts and advocates who will integrate open education principles into campus academic culture.

The Open CU initiative serves students across Colorado, including urban and rural populations, non-traditional and underrepresented students, and high school students across the state. This initiative has garnered over $200K in grant and in-kind funding.

OER Champions

The award recognizes significant achievements of CU faculty, staff, and students in expanding the use of open educational resources. The honor celebrates an educator from each of the four CU campuses who contributes to the open educational movement through the creation of open access learning materials, and in so doing, increases OER awareness and interest in exploring, adopting and creating OER to benefit CU students.