Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


New Virginia Law Mandates Creation of OER Guidelines

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/19/18

A new Virginia law mandates creation of guidelines for open educational resources at colleges and universities. HB 454 requires the governing boards of public institutions to implement guidelines for the adoption and use of low-cost and no-cost OER in their courses offered at such institution. However, while the policies and procedures are required, no instructor would be forced to use OER. The guidelines can also address the use of "low-cost commercially published materials."

The addition was tacked onto other regulations related to textbook selection and availability of course materials on campus for students who can't afford the cost.

OER isn't new for the state's schools. In 2015, Virginia's community colleges piloted a program to replace textbooks with OER in specific programs. And Tidewater Community College has launched multiple degree programs with "zero textbook costs."

The bill's approval follows on the heels of a $5 million federal competitive grant pilot program, announced in late March, to support projects at colleges and universities across the country to "create new open textbooks or expand their use in order to achieve savings for students while maintaining or improving instruction and student learning outcomes."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • abstract smartphone translucent screen displaying AI interface

    Apple Introduces Redesigned Siri AI

    At its recent Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple introduced Siri AI, a redesigned version of its voice assistant that Apple describes in its own announcement as "a profoundly more capable and personal assistant." The update is intended to make Siri more conversational, more context-aware, and more useful across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro.

  • digital data protection and cyber security

    White House Launches New AI Security Framework

    President Donald Trump has issued a new executive order aimed at maintaining United States AI leadership while addressing the security risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems.

  • Glowing route lines merging into single gold pathway

    Microsoft Merges Copilot Apps Into a Single User Experience

    Microsoft recently announced it is consolidating its consumer Copilot app and Microsoft 365 Copilot app into a single destination, addressing a fragmented product strategy that has required users to navigate separate applications for AI chat and productivity tools.

  • VSLive! session

    VSLive! San Diego 2026 Puts AI at the Core of the Campus IT Stack

    For higher education IT teams working through AI pilots, ERP integrations, student-facing apps, analytics projects, and mounting security concerns, Visual Studio Live! San Diego 2026 offers a look at the development practices that are shaping the campus technology landscape.