November 14, 2018
Apply by Nov. 23 for Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative funds
Submitted by Sarah McGreer Hoyt
Join the ranks of K-State instructors who are making a university education more affordable for their students. Rather than assigning a traditional, expensive textbook, consider teaching from low or no-cost open or alternative textbook.
The Open/Alternative, or O/A, Textbook Initiative provides financial incentives to instructors who convert their university courses from traditional textbooks to O/A texts. K-State faculty can receive $2,000-$5,000 for investing their time and research to make the switch. So far, dozens of faculty members have converted more than 75 courses from 34 academic departments and units.
The deadline for the most recent award cycle is Friday, Nov. 23.
For additional questions about the award, contact Brian Lindshield, associate professor of human nutrition; Andy Bennett, department head and professor of mathematics; or the Center for the Advancement of Digital Scholarship at cads@k-state.edu.
The initiative, which launched in 2013, was initially supported through student-centered tuition enhancement grants allocated by the K-State SGA and funding from K-State Libraries. In subsequent years, it has attracted additional funders, including the president and provost's offices, the KSU Foundation and private donors. The total cumulative savings to students amounts to $4.4 million since the initiative's beginning in 2013.