Governance / Open Educational Resources Committee Meeting: January 8, 2025

Open Educational Resources Committee Meeting: January 8, 2025

Teams / Conference Call

Members attending: Dorinne Banks, (Adler University), Brandon Board (Waubonsee Community College), Zachariah Claybaugh (Dominican University), Kelly Hallisy (DePaul University), Lauren Kosrow, (College of DuPage), Jayna Leipart Guttilla, co-chair (Illinois State University), Shelly McDavid (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), Dee Anna Phares, co-chair (Northern Illinois University)

Member absent: Joslyn Allision, City Colleges of Chicago

CARLI Staff attending: Anne Craig, Michele Leigh, Nicole Swanson

Guest: Sarah Gantz (University of Illinois)

Decisions

  • Minutes approved from December 4, 2024 meeting.

Tasks Assigned

  • Minutes taken by Zach Claybaugh.

Announcements

Discussion

  • An update from Sarah Zehr Gantz that she is working towards an OER proposal for the state. She has been working with Anne Craig on an OER proposal towards the goal of eliminating textbook costs for Illinois first-year students. She will run this proposal by institution’s government relations group and wanted to loop OER Committee in and get feedback.
    • Committee members shared that the team planning the Illinois OER Summit for April (4/7 at ISU) has this as a topic that they are currently discussing. They wanted Sarah to know about this and loop her in on this.
    • Sarah: great idea; She will keep this in mind and is hoping to have something to review for the committee’s next meeting.
  • Continued committee discussion on this topic:
    • This is a way to advocate for legislative support and regularly occurring funding from the state for OER.
    • Huge for recruitment and retention of students in the state; and keeping students in the state of Illinois in higher education.
    • Many community colleges are already using ZTC programming; could help inform this OER proposal.
    • Question: What is the mechanism for implementation?
      • No clear authority on this; aspirational goal and vehicle to help legislators to hardwire this into legislation and consistent funding for the effort; not prescriptive but something that is a net positive for the state and its students; present the goal and hardwire it into the legislative agenda.
    • Question: Is this new?
      • This is not entirely new; had legislators throw $3 million for OER as a one-time pot of funds for OER that resulted in the ILSOS/ISL Grant Program in FY 2024; Legislator, Norma Hernandez supported and plopped into the budget as a last-minute addition; hopes this will be a vehicle to provide consistent, regularly occurring funding.
    • Comment that as someone coming from a community college and to an institution without a formal OER program; structure from the state would be extremely helpful.
  • Continuing Education
    • OER Faculty Workshop
      • Volunteers and program dates
        • February 7, 2025, 11:00 – 12:30, Amber Burtis and Julie Murphy
        • February 20, 2025, 11:30 – 1:00, Lauren Kosrow and Evangeline Reid
    • OER Course: Understanding and Promoting Open Educational Resources
      • Volunteers and program dates
        • February 13, 20, & 27, 9:00 – 10:30, Dorinne Banks and Shelly McDavid
        • May, Zachariah Claybaugh and Stephanie Fletcher
          • Confirm date (NEED TO DO THIS)
    • Open Pedagogy Workshop
      • January 10, 11:00-noon, Dee Anna Phares and Shelly McDavid (for libraries)
      • February 27, 11:30-1:00, Chris Sweet and Kelly Hallisy (for faculty)
    • OER Community Chats  
      • The Committee is looking for potentially outside speakers. Zach has a potential conversation leader; Jayna also suggested reaching out to people in states with robust funding like California and Texas.
      • Spring presenters
        • February 2025 (no firm date; might potentially cancel?)
          • Possible topic is OER Format Flexibility and Accessibility
          • Shelly has had difficulty contacting her institutional accessibility person; otherwise, Ann might be able to bring an instructional designer.
        • April 2025
          • Measuring Success Beyond Student Savings- Lauren, Zach, & Dee Anna
    • Open Education Week, March 3-7
      • Looking for students for a student panel, potentially, for OE Week. Lauren and Brandon might have some students they can recruit.
      • March 4: PDA Program: Turning Data into Action: Responding to Illinois Students' Need for Equity of Course Materials
      • Measuring OER success beyond student savings
  • CARLI Funding Support for Member Continuing Education
    • CARLI still has funding available for professional development.
  • Illinois Secretary of State/Illinois State Library OER Grant Program
    • Second Quarterly Report is due on January 15.
    • CARLI team members have been meeting with the different teams.
    • For those that received grants, they should let the Illinois State Library and CARLI know if personnel changes occur.
    • Michele can help folks with LibreTexts issues.
  • DOE Open Textbook Pilot Grant: Illinois SCOERs: Support for the Creation of Open Educational Resources
    • CARLI staff are working on wrapping things up.
    • Notice about the need to expend funding from grants.
    • Department of Education Program Officer will be invited to CARLI’s July OER event.
  • Illinois OER Summit, April 7, 2025, Illinois State University Alumni Center
    • The committee discussed recording the OER Course for participants. There have been requests for this. The committee decided to revisit at its next meeting.
    • Hoping to get clarity on goals and concepts for the foundational OER course; and what existing material out there could be used.
      • Potentially can address this at the OER Summit Meeting.
    • The Summit planning group wanted to move beyond basics of OER but provide some level of a baseline knowledge.
    • The OER Committee likes the idea of repurposing existing content.

Next Meeting Dates and Deadlines

The next committee meeting is February 5, 2025 at 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Notetaker will be Jayna.

Committee Meetings:
February 5, 2025; Minutes taker: Jayna Leipart Guttilla
March 5, 2025; Minutes taker: Kelly Hallisy
April 2, 2025; Minutes taker: Lauren Kosrow
May TBD, 2025; Minutes taker: Jayna Leipart Guttilla
June 4, 2025; Minutes taker: TBD