OpenStax Welcomes 16 New Colleges and Universities to Its Institutional Partner Program

Rice University's OpenStax initiative has welcomed the largest cohort of colleges and universities to its Institutional Partner Program (IPP) since its founding in 2015. Sixteen new institutions have joined the program to give their students free or low-cost access to textbooks and other educational materials.

The organization said it has over 60 titles of open educational resources in its library and will be adding 15 more in 2024.

"This year's cohort is our largest ever — it's inspiring to see so many different types of institutions coming together to nurture OER initiatives and make learning easier and more affordable for their students," said Anthony Palmiotto, director of higher education for OpenStax.

The new members of the IPP are Adrian College, Barry University, Chattahoochee Technical College-Mountain View, Clinton College, Coker University, Collin College-Plano, University of Arkansas-Cossatot Community College, Georgia State University, Meredith College, Motlow State Community College, Pace University-Pleasantville, Southwest Texas Junior College, Texas A&M University-Commerce, University of San Diego, University of South Carolina-Beaufort, and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

The OpenStax IPP has supported more than 80 colleges and universities since its inception, the organization said, and has saved students $2.9 billion. The program puts "customizable, high-quality, peer-reviewed and openly licensed materials into the hands of instructors and learners" for free online or at a low cost in print.

To learn more about how it works, visit OpenStax's About page.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  • Profile silhouette of a person thoughtfully touching their chin, overlaid with transparent data visualizations and digital interface elements suggesting artificial intelligence and analytics.

    The Institutional Knowledge Shift Is Reshaping Higher Ed IT

    Higher education IT leaders are navigating a quiet but consequential transition: Experienced team members are retiring or leaving for private-sector roles, and the teams replacing them are smaller, newer, and often stretched thin. The result is a structural shift in how technology decisions are made, executed, and sustained.

  • abstract quantum computing glowing circuits

    Nvidia Unveils 'Ising' Quantum AI Model

    Nvidia has announced a new family of open source AI models, dubbed "Ising," designed to accelerate quantum computing by improving calibration and error correction.

  • robot hand holding stacks of coins

    Designing AI Systems for Financial Aid

    Financial aid offices have been slow to adopt AI, risking technological stagnation at a critical early student touchpoint. Systematic AI integration can improve student experiences and strengthen institutional positioning.

  • Businessman using laptop analyzing data and growth graph chart

    AI Budgets in Education Show No Sign of Decline

    The vast majority of education organizations (98%) expect their AI infrastructure budgets to either increase or hold steady over the next year, according to a recent report from cloud storage provider Wasabi.