AAC&U Announces 2022-2023 Institute on Open Educational Resources

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is now accepting applications for its 2022-2023 Institute on Open Educational Resources, a year-long training program on designing and implementing OER plans on campus. Through activities, project work and sessions with expert consultants, teams of faculty, staff and administrators will develop strategies to accelerate OER adoption at their institutions. Campuses pursuing affordability, student success or student learning goals are "ideally suited" for the Institute, according to a news announcement.

The Institute will begin with a virtual kickoff event on July 14-15, 2022. Campus teams will participate in Institute activities through the fall and spring semesters to develop and put into practice an OER plan, and interact with Institute faculty as that plan is implemented and evolves. In addition, participants will attend monthly webinars and cross-institutional planning meetings; a day-long midpoint event in preparation for the spring semester; and a capstone closing event on July 12-14, 2023. All activities will take place online.

Goals of the work include:

  • "Articulate a clear, compelling, and communicable purpose for the OER work or initiative under development or expansion, including key goals, affordability aspirations, student learning gains, student success metrics, and intended benefits for faculty, students, and the institution;
  • "Discern evidence-based theory-to-practice models and strategies that connect research and scholarship with effective approaches to developing, utilizing, and adopting OER;
  • "Identify collaborators and form key partnerships with those who can broaden the argument for resources, support, and adoption of OER within your campus context;
  • "Utilize evidence-based innovation and leadership strategies to increase the probability of successful scaling of your OER initiative; and
  • "Create a comprehensive OER action plan for team members and campuses to implement with measurable benchmarks for charting success."

Participating teams are required to have at least five team members and are encouraged to include an assortment of campus roles, such as senior academic officers, faculty members, librarians, Center for Teaching and Learning staff members, learning technologies professionals, student affairs leaders and assessment and curriculum specialists. There is a registration fee of $5,000 per five-member team from AAC&U member institutions or $6,200 per five-member team from nonmember institutions. The deadline for applications in April 29, 2022. For more information, visit the AAC&U site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • cloud, database stack, computer screen, binary code, and flowcharts interconnected by lines and arrows

    Salesforce to Acquire Data Management Firm Informatica

    Salesforce has announced plans to acquire data management company Informatica for $8 billion. The deal is aimed at strengthening Salesforce's AI foundation and expanding its enterprise data capabilities.

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    New Nonprofit to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a new nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.

  • illustration of a football stadium with helmet on the left and laptop with ed tech icons on the right

    The 2025 NFL Draft and Ed Tech Selection: A Strategic Parallel

    In the fast-evolving landscape of collegiate football, the NFL, and higher education, one might not immediately draw connections between the 2025 NFL Draft and the selection of proper educational technology for a college campus. However, upon closer examination, both processes share striking similarities: a rigorous assessment of needs, long-term strategic impact, talent or tool evaluation, financial considerations, and adaptability to a dynamic future.

  • server racks, a human head with a microchip, data pipes, cloud storage, and analytical symbols

    OpenAI, Oracle Expand AI Infrastructure Partnership

    OpenAI and Oracle have announced they will develop an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center capacity, expanding their artificial intelligence infrastructure partnership as part of the Stargate Project, a joint venture among OpenAI, Oracle, and Japan's SoftBank Group that aims to deploy 10 gigawatts of computing capacity over four years.