Open Education 2017

Since the 12th Annual Open Education Conference, staff members at Boise State University and Clemson University have sought to establish and grow institution-wide initiatives around open educational resources (OER). Despite holding a shared identity as public universities, these two institutions –one located in the Northwestern and one in the Southeastern United States –harbor distinct cultures, climates, and agendas as they relate to the sustainable implementation and support of OER. Simply stated, staff from Boise State and Clemson somehow continue to find common solutions for supporting OER despite their differences.

Over the last two years, librarians, researchers, technologists, and instructional designers of both universities have consulted each other, joined interinstitutional networks, launched pilot programs, rallied student groups, cultivated faculty learning communities, modified digital infrastructure, and shared a few resources under the notion that open access to education complements the missions of their respective institutions. And while projects have been implemented at the institutional level, certain variables remain that help and hinder proliferation of OER at each university.

If vague support from senior administrators, limited resources for sharing and modifying texts, inconsistent faculty awareness and availability, varying priorities between campus stakeholders, and uncertainty about recurring funding can be considered common threats to long-lasting OER programs in higher ed., the members of this panel (having faced these issues firsthand) continue to claim that the best approach toward tackling such problems is one that transparently spans disciplines, departments, and institutions.

Through much sharing, gratitude, and hopefulness, panel members will discuss their recent experiences in driving, supporting, and sustaining OER together from opposite corners of the U.S.