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UC Davis Aims to Save Students Money, Improve Outcomes with Inclusive Access Initiative

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has recently gone public with its Inclusive Access initiative, a program that uses digital course materials in an effort to save students money.

Designed in partnership with Pearson and its Digital Direct Access model, along with other vendors, the initiative was launched in 2014 and makes digital course materials available to students through the campus bookstore. In its first year, the program saved students more than $1 million, according to information released by UC Davis. Since its launch, the program has been used for 170 courses — 40 or more per quarter and growing — and has provided course materials to more than 45,000 students.

In addition to cost savings, the program is designed to ensure that students have access to course materials on the first day of class, as content is available online for free for two weeks, at which point students are automatically billed via their university account unless they have opted out.

"The initiative earned UC Davis the 2016 University of California Larry L. Sautter Award for Innovation in Information Technology, which was established in 2000 to encourage and recognize innovative deployment of information technology in support of the university's mission," according to a news release. "The program also won the Innovation Achievement Award from the National Association of College Stores Foundation this spring."

"Our campus was thrilled to have our Inclusive Access program acknowledged as one of the most innovative IT projects in the UC system," said Jason Lorgan, executive director of campus recreation, memorial union and UC Davis stores, in a prepared statement. "Faculty appreciate that students have day-one access to materials and the course can proceed without delay."

"Our students continue to embrace the program with high satisfaction levels in our end-of-term surveys," Lorgan added. "The high-quality, vetted digital content in the Inclusive Access program furthers the success of our students, the ultimate goal our entire campus is focused on."

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

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