International Journal of Open Educational Resources Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2019/Winter 2020 | Page 161

A Community-Based Collaborative of OER programs
cifically Amy Hofer, offered education
and support in the form of textbook
review workshops through the OTN,
individual campus support and guidance,
and a statewide space for sharing.
The program now includes a variety of
grant opportunities for faculty, grants
for institutions in course marking
work (HB2871), and individual campus
events. Additionally, it is a resource
for publication practices, educational
opportunities and support for faculty,
best practices for OER, and broader research
in elements of open education. It
supports individual faculty, individual
campuses, the state’s higher education
community, and open education internationally.
The breadth of its reach is due
wholly to Amy Hofer’s approach to this
work and the supporting network that
she has built. This is demonstrated in
the collaborative spirit that all Open
Oregon Educational Resources work
is done. Hofer established a statewide
OER steering committee. This is made
up of volunteers from post-secondary
institutions. Its members fill all types of
roles on their campuses, giving the committee
a complete perspective when addressing
issues. This committee meets
regularly to provide support and guidance
to current and new directions under
the leadership of Hofer. Initiatives
within the Open Oregon Educational
Resources program are all formed into
specific committees that are volunteer
as well. Members of these committees
are largely made of from the steering
committee or the OCCDLA membership
but are always open to the broader
Oregon academic community. These
committee charges range from state
conference or event planning, such
as Open Ed Week 2019, to publishing
whitepapers. This work format creates
a collaborative and supportive space for
open educational practices statewide. It
is a key and important element of the
work that Open Oregon Educational
Resources provides.
The collective program that is
Open Oregon Educational Resources
creates a framework for sustainability.
Left to themselves, initiatives on individual
campuses can become stagnant
or defunct. With turnover, environmental
changes, or other institutional
dynamics, OER initiatives fall into the
realm of any other project. While student
needs are increasingly significant
in this area, individual institutions’ abilities
to meet these needs vary. Having an
overarching program at the state level
ensures consistency in growth and support
that institutions cannot commit to.
It holds all of higher education in the
state together. It provides a platform for
growth and change inside and outside
of campuses. It provides opportunities
for individual engagement external to
campus commitments. Open Oregon
Educational Resources is the essential
element to the success of the programs
mentioned here, as well as their future
sustainability.
Conclusions
In 2019, the Oregon Legislature once
again provided funding for sustained
OER and open pedagogy at
both two year and four-year colleges
throughout the state through HB2214.
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