Faculty/staff guide to Open Educational Resources (OER): TCC's OER journey

What is Open Education Week?

The goal of Open Education Week (March 7-11, 2022) is "to raise awareness and showcase impact of open education on teaching and learning worldwide." 

A snapshot of textbook savings for TCC students, 2012-2020:

• 2012: $293,288
• 2014: $634,090
• 2016: $1,232,800
• 2018: $1,515,800
• 2020: $1,744,200

TCC students are now saving over $1 million in textbook costs per year, thanks to our college's investment in OER.

Image source: Graphic created by Sheila Northrop, TCC Learning Innovation, 2022. Data collected from Library and Institutional Research staff.

We come together this week to celebrate Open Education Week 2022, a time to shine the light on a shared global vision of increasing access and equity to education. As we celebrate the OE Week 2022, this year is extra-special at TCC, because we are celebrating 10 years of OER advocacy @ TCC!

A decade of lowering textbook costs for students, and our continuing legacy of TCC students investing in students.  

A message from TCC College President Dr. Harrell:

TCC College President Dr. Ivan Harrell has a special message to kick off the celebrations: 

Let’s take a look back at how it all began. And of course, OER advocacy @ TCC began with our AMAZING students!

TCC OER student panel, 2012:

This is a short video recording that highlights a 2012 panel of TCC students sharing why OER matters to them. The TCC students featured in this video are Amy McCoy, Skyler Tilton, and EJ Iglesias.

The history of OER student advocacy @ TCC:

For more info and details about the history of student OER advocacy @ TCC, check out this “From spark to flame: Lighting the way for sustainable student OER advocacy framework at a community college” article by TCC’s own Jennifer Snoek-Brown, Candice Watkins, and Dale Coleman. 

Today, we are celebrating the OER builders at TCC: the faculty and support staff who first began, and have continued, creating and adopting OER in their classes. Over the past decade, we have developed a cross-campus culture of OER support and advocacy, and our open culture would not be possible without the investment of time and energy of our awesome and dedicated TCC faculty and staff. Thank you all.

This is a new video created by TCC Media Production member Jonny Ristow, and it features interviews with some of the builders of OER at Tacoma Community College. Quill West, Christie Fierro, Christopher Soran, Candice Watkins, Jennifer Snoek-Brown, and Mary Fox share some insights, stories, history, and benefits of Open Education Resources.

We are celebrating a decade of OER advocacy @ TCC with the inaugural OER Titan Awards! 

Are you a student who is taking a course that doesn't require you to purchase a textbook? Are you an instructor who has worked with a colleague to adapt or create an OER textbook or course materials? Do you know a colleague who is working on social justice and open education initiatives? Have you worked with TCC student leaders who advocate for textbook affordability? Then please consider nominating them for the OER Titan Award! This award recognizes and celebrates individuals who are doing and supporting outstanding open education work at Tacoma Community College.

How to nominate someone for the OER Titan Award:

Deadline for nominations:

Deadline to submit nominations for the TCC OER Titan Award is April 14, 2022. 

There is no limit on nomination submissions, and self-nominations are accepted. Awards will be announced and presented at a later date in Spring quarter.

Award sponsors:

This award is sponsored by TCC's Open Education Steering Group, in collaboration with the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) and the Associated Students of TCC (ASTCC). 

A wrap-up message from ASTCC President Melissa Littleton:

Here is an inspiring message from our amazing ASTCC president, Melissa Littleton, to wrap up our OER celebrations – and to look forward to our next decade of OER advocacy @ TCC!

"It is so important to understand where we came from, where we are, and where we're going."

And here's a final look at how much students have saved on textbooks during our first decade of OER! TCC students are now saving over $1 million in textbook costs per year, and almost $10 million in overall savings in the last decade!