International Journal of Open Educational Resources Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2019/Winter 2020 | Page 159

A Community-Based Collaborative of OER programs
others connect the actions of their peers
to the initiatives supporting OER. All
attendees of the presentations, respondents
to surveys, applicants, and others
who expressed interest become part of
a growing list to make direct contact
with. In addition to the internal program,
the library received a collection
of print OERs in use by Oregon Tech
faculty through the Open Oregon Educational
Resources OER Petting Zoo.
These materials were placed on display
in both campus libraries and were highlighted
in university publications.
The first year of the program
netted student savings more than
$220,000, with every term saving an
average of 335 students more than
$200 each. An additional $160,000
has been saved by students since 2015
from a single Open Oregon Educational
Resources grant received by Alishia
Huntoon in the Psychology department.
We are unable to count student
savings from non-reported OER use,
but we know that there are more out
there in use. Despite 2019 applicant
numbers and awards being lower than
the first year, this number will still increase
in the 2019-2020 academic year.
Based on low application numbers
and other feedback from the university
community, an educational
program will begin in the 2019-2020
academic year. A course on OER for
faculty is in development, and future
cohorts will have to take this as part of
their award. Funding to continue the
initiative is being sought in a variety of
ways from donors to grants—including
grants through Open Oregon Educational
Resources. While this initiative
is largely independent to Oregon
Tech, and somewhat organically grown
among the faculty, it would not have
started without the support and programs
of Open Oregon Educational Resources
and the statewide coordination
offered.
Treasure Valley
Community College
In the early 2010s, the Oregon Community
College Library Association
began working to develop individual
initiatives on each of their 17
campuses. Treasure Valley Community
College is a small, rural institution in
an economically challenged region that
hosts many first-generation students,
as well as immigrant and migrant students.
Making information pathways
that bridge accessibility and affordability
gaps for its students is the passion
of the college library. Starting an
Open Educational Resources initiative
was a natural focus for investing in.
The library director, Christina Trunnell,
began teaching with OER texts
in 2013. Utilizing lessons learned and
shared knowledge among the colleges,
Trunnell began outreach to individual
and department faculty groups. With a
few regional trainings and workshops,
Treasure Valley Community College
was able to get some faculty interest in
the idea.
In 2015, with the creation of
Open Oregon Educational Resources
and its grant incentive funds, the library
director and Amy Hofer hosted an OTN
textbook review workshop and later an
all-day OER Sprint that incorporated
151