September 8, 2019 - Fresno State announced it was one of 10 schools chosen to participate in the 2019-20 OpenStax Institutional Partnership Program to encourage the use of free, peer-reviewed textbooks on campus.

Fresno State was chosen to participate in this strategic partnership with OpenStax after a rigorous application process that included demonstrating a willingness to drive adoption of open educational resources. Institutional partners will receive individualized consulting from OpenStax and join a cohort of schools advocating widespread use of these resources at their schools.

On average, institutional partners increase the number of students benefitting from open educational resources by 158% after completing the first year of the program, according to OpenStax. To date, the program has resulted in $19.6 million dollars of additional student savings.

“We are thrilled at the strategic partnership with OpenStax, as this will further promote the academic success of our students,” said Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Fresno State. “I’m very thankful for the leadership that our Center for Faculty Excellence provided in making this partnership a possibility.”

Open educational resources, including the free, peer-reviewed textbooks offered by OpenStax, eliminate cost barriers for students and allow unrestricted, immediate access to learning materials, increasing the likelihood for students to complete their courses successfully. According to the 2017 Babson Survey, open resources are growing in popularity — almost 50% of faculty reported they are aware of these resources, and OpenStax textbooks are being adopted in introductory courses at rates that rival traditional books.

Visit www.fresnostate.edu for more information on Fresno State’s open educational resources initiative. To learn more about campus efforts, view the “Be a Hero” campaign video.
Source: Fresno State