OER Grant Program
Grant Application Information & Guidelines
Open Education Resources (or “OER”) are openly-licensed, free or low-cost materials that can be modified and redistributed to educate students while reducing the cost of a college education.
We are excited to announce a partnership between the Bookstore, Hunter Library, and Coulter Faculty Commons (CFC) to sponsor up to $1,000,000 in faculty grants for the adoption of OER materials into the Book Rental program.
Open Educational Resources
“OER is sharing” by giulia.forsythe is licensed under CC cc0-1.0
Purpose
This grant program is designed to:
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- Promote additional course flexibility in the Book Rental program,
- Support faculty with largely unrestricted grant funds,
- Foster long-term savings for students,
- Give faculty the tools they need to explore and adopt materials with the assistance of Hunter Library, and
- Help faculty integrate OER materials through course redesign assistance with Coulter Faculty Commons
- OER materials can be made available digitally and/or as a printed book through the Book Rental program to accommodate all styles of teaching.
Application Process
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis:
Adopting existing OER materials?
Apply at least 90 days before the term starts.
Creating an OER textbook?
Applications are accepted year-round.
Submit your application through the WCU Bookstore.
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- The Bookstore, Hunter Library, and CFC will review applications and coordinate with department heads.
- Upon approval, faculty receive grant funding and resource support.
Textbook Replacement Grant
- For adopting an existing OER to replace a Textbook Rental adoption.
Course Redesign Grant
- For comprehensive course redesigns that integrate OER materials and modify pedagogy.
OER Contributor Grant
- For creating and publishing a new OER textbook* to be used at WCU. Textbooks must:
- Be licensed under Creative Commons-BY-NC-SA 4.0,
- Be peer-reviewed and department-approved,
- Be shared via an accessible platform in coordination with the grant committee.
- Initial funding is provided upon approval, with the remaining amount awarded upon completion.
- Grants for modifying an existing OER textbook will be determined by the selection committee based on the scope of work.
Open Pedagogy Grant
- For faculty integrating OER into student-driven learning experiences, such as assignments where students contribute to open knowledge.
- This grant supports the replacement of costly supplemental materials (e.g., access codes, proprietary courseware).
Support & Resources
This program is a campus-wide effort to promote affordability for WCU students. As such, multiple departments are available to assist faculty exploring the adoption of OER materials.
WCU Bookstore
- Provides application materials and manages application status
- Obtains departmental approval
- Manages adoption approvals and fund disbursement
For more information, please contact the Bookstore (bookstore@wcu.edu, 828.227.7346).
Hunter Library
- Partners with faculty to identify and evaluate OER materials
- Assists in securing non-OER library resources and supplemental textbook materials
For more information, please contact Scottie Kappel (skapel@wcu.edu) or your subject librarian.
Coulter Faculty Commons (CFC)
- Offers course redesign assistance
- Supports instructional technology and pedagogical strategies
For more information, please contact Angela Fulk (afulk@wcu.edu, 828.227.7196).
OER Grant Program
Questions regarding the program and its administration should be directed to Robert Walker, Associate Vice Chancellor for Auxiliary Enterprises, at rgwalker@wcu.edu.
OER Grant Details
Eligibility
Any undergraduate, residential credit course with a textbook rental adoption may participate in the program. When an OER grant is awarded, the textbook rental adoption is discontinued for the specified course/section and replaced with the proposed OER material. Other supplemental materials (access codes, digital resources, journals, etc.) may still be required, but the student should not be required to purchase a secondary textbook. In the event that an entire course converts to OER materials (i.e. multiple faculty members teaching multiple sections), each participating faculty member will be awarded according to the information below.
Additional Conditions
Faculty may apply for their own course, or on a course’s behalf for multiple participating faculty members.
For all submissions, the department head will be consulted and must approve the adoption and conversion to OER materials for the specified courses/sections.
Grant Restrictions
OER grants operate with minimal restrictions on usage but are required to follow all University and State purchasing guidelines. Faculty participating in the OER program act as accountable officers for their individual awards.