Category Archives: oa.george_washington.u

Column: Administrators and faculty should embrace open-source textbooks – The GW Hatchet

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“The second semester is well underway, bringing with it the semesterly ritual of buying exorbitantly priced textbooks. The national average price for course materials is $153 per course, which can mean students may be forced to pay in the area of $1,000 a semester just to obtain the reading materials they need. This puts a further financial strain on students and their families for a higher education institution that is already expensive enough.

GW and other institutions must turn to more affordable and accessible textbook options rather than letting a few textbook publishers place further financial burdens on students. They should use open educational resources, which are educational sites and materials that are free, accessible online and available for use and sharing….”

GW Libraries debuts campaign to boost course material affordability – The GW Hatchet

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“GW Libraries staff are encouraging professors to adopt and use more affordable course materials through a new campaign.

Gelman Library staff launched a “Postcard Campaign” at the start of this semester to offer students the chance to create cards detailing their struggles with affording textbooks and other course items by showing other items they could have purchased, like food, with the money spent on course materials. Gelman officials said the postcards will raise awareness about textbook affordability and open educational resources, which are free to access and use.

Geneva Henry, the dean of Libraries and Academic Innovation, said staff is asking students to complete postcards at the beginning of the semester about what sacrifices they have made to afford course materials and how the money could have been spent. Staff is promoting the campaign at Gelman and outside the Marvin Center, she said….”