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K-State Today

October 5, 2016

Student fee supports departments using open/alternative textbooks

Submitted by Sarah McGreer Hoyt

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Starting this semester, the university is including a $10 per student fee for courses in which the instructor teaches from approved open/alternative resources.

The fee will be divided between the supporting department, 90 percent, and the Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative, 10 percent. Its purpose is to encourage faculty and departments to incorporate and retain open/alternative resources in their classes in place of expensive traditional textbooks.

The fee also provides some stable funding for the Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative, which awards financial support to faculty members who convert their courses to open/alternative resources, thereby passing cost savings on to their students.

If you teach a course that uses a free open or alternative resource that has not yet been approved, you can submit an application to have the fee applied to your course for the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters. 

Information sessions on the Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative will be from 8-9 a.m and 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11 in 407 Hale Library. If you are unable to attend at this time, please let us know what days and times would be preferred by completing our online poll

For information about the fee and whether your course is eligible, visit lib.k-state.edu/textbook-fee

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