Leading the Way in Offering Zero-Cost Textbooks

March 31, 2022 Washtenaw Community College

Students at wcc

Accustomed to budgeting hundreds of dollars for textbooks each semester, Ana Andrade found a nice surprise in her inbox after registering for Fall 2020 classes. The simple message from her instructor: No need to purchase the official textbook because a free online resource is offered. 

Since Fall 2017 when the zero-cost textbook program officially known as Open Education Resources (OER) was introduced, Washtenaw Community College students have saved nearly $9 million in WCC’s 47 courses offering OER. WCC now offers four entirely no-cost textbook business certificates, and the college is close to offering zero-cost textbook associate degrees, also known as “Z Degrees”. 

Andrade estimates she has saved at least $200 in two courses through the free online textbook program. 

“I have to work to pay my school, so for me it was a very good help at that time. With books, tuition, trans- portation, and other costs of college, it’s great to have more tools to help students with all the expenses,” says Andrade, who plans to graduate from WCC’s nursing program next year. An international student from Brazil, Andrade first enrolled at WCC in 2018. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the costs of textbooks have increased 88% between 2006 and 2016. 

Nationally, the average cost for one textbook is $153, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. In some cases, even with WCC’s low tuition, a textbook could potentially exceed tuition. Nationally, during the 2020-2021 school year, the average cost of books and supplies for students at public two-year colleges was $1,460, according to the College Board. 

Faculty members work in cohorts with WCC’s librarians, developing origi- nal content, scouring open resources, mixing and matching graphics and other types of information, and navigating through the issues of attributions and copyrights to create top quality free textbooks that meet standards for each class. 

OER is a growing movement in higher education. A leader in this effort among community colleges in the State of Michigan, WCC’s OER program is one of three two-year institutions statewide highlighted by the Michigan OER Network. 

“We are committed to providing an excellent education for all students, no matter their socioeconomic back- ground. Our growing OER efforts help tremendously with affordability, and students can be assured that the quality and content of the materials is exceptional,” says WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca. 

OERs benefit students and faculty alike. Instructors tailor content to curriculum so that all students have materials on the first day of class and don’t risk falling behind. 

While the primary goal is cost sav- ings, students point to other benefits such as the ease of access and con- venience of not having to haul or store large, heavy textbooks. 

Molly Ledermann, professional librar- ian who leads WCC’s Bailey Library OER cohorts, praises faculty members dedicated to helping students. 

“One of the amazing things about WCC is our faculty are passionate about their students, and they want to save them money. They see the choices students have to make between buying a pair of glasses or fixing a car or purchasing a textbook.” 

Tags: Launch Summer 2022, ousearch_News_Launch Magazine

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