Cost Saving Initiatives
Library Collection Materials
From physical textbook lending and library reserve programs to course materials comprised of library-licensed collections and subscriptions, faculty across the state are saving students money by aligning their course learning outcomes with thousands of library-housed e-books, videos, and online scholarly journals.
Book Loan and Book Grant Programs
For courses using physical textbooks, book loan programs can help students by providing copies of textbooks for free to use throughout the semester. Book grants provide qualified students with funds to help subsidize the purchase of textbooks and course materials.
Inclusive Access Programs
Inclusive access programs are contract buying or direct billing programs that result from a partnership with university bookstores and publishers and provide digital textbooks to students below market rate on or before the first day of class.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
According to the Hewlett Foundation, “Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others. OER include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.”
Z-Degree Programs
The courses in z-degree programs use OER and other no-cost resources to offer an entire degree program without any required instructional materials costs.
TN Open Education Hub
TN Open Education Hub is an online space where instructors across Tennessee can share the various materials (textbooks, lesson plans, handouts, lecture notes, videos, supplemental reading, interactive assignments, etc.) that they develop to assist Tennessee students in their learning.
The goal of the TN Open Education Hub is to create a widespread community of practice, to collaborate in our instructional development, to share effective resources and practices, and to facilitate deep and effective student learning.
The “Hub” contains both a repository of no-cost and openly licensed instructional resources that are created and used at postsecondary institutions in Tennessee and working groups, or spaces where materials can be collaboratively developed and refined.