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The California State University Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) program encourages campuses to find ways to use high quality and affordable course materials. While student costs for higher education continue to rise, we find it critical for student success to reduce these costs, while maintaining quality education. Through a variety of AL$ programs, partnerships, and open educational resources (OER) efforts have been made for faculty and student to have greater access to quality, affordable, and readily available materials while achieving individual learning goals.

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🦄 About OpenCI

What is OpenCI? OpenCI is a campus-wide effort across CSUCI to help reduce the rising cost of textbooks and other required course materials.

Why does OpenCI matter? OpenCI matters because textbooks are expensive! In fact, the price of college textbooks has risen 4x the rate of inflation in recent decades, outpacing increases in housing, medical, and even tuition costs. As a result, many students have difficulty purchasing their required course materials – which can negatively impacted stress levels, academic performance, completion rates, and more. Each of these realities has also shown to disproportionately impact historically underserved populations, thus, revealing course material costs to be a social justice issue.

What is OpenCI doing to help? Over the past 6 years, OpenCI has helped professors save CSUCI students more than $8 million dollars on textbook costs. (Yeah, $8 million with an “M.”) Professors have accomplished this by assigning no/low-cost course materials, instead of requiring students to purchase traditional textbooks. Common examples of no/low-cost course materials include online readings, library resources, journal articles, or even “Open Education Resources” (aka, OER).

What does all of this mean for you? If one of your professors have taken the time and effort to redesign their course using no/low-cost readings, now you have a better understanding of why. (Spoiler alert: They did it to help you!) So, feel free to tell them “Thank you!” Feel free to explain what OpenCI is to any of your colleagues who ask. And feel free to enjoy that extra coin you hear jingling in your pocket right about now.

🤳🏽 How to Find No/Low Cost Courses

In addition to the steps outlined below, be sure to verify if the course section is offered through Extended University. If you are not sure, you can also connect with your instructor to find out if the required materials for your course are available through other low/no cost options through web-based resources, Canvas access, library check out, library e-book access, text rental, or other options.

Flyer with the steps to find no cost resources. Step 1 Find the Schedule of Classes for the current semester. Step 2 Search Term or Subject to Browse current course offerings. Step 3 Search using the filter for No Cost Courses

Watch my Powtoon: Finding Process: Affordability

✅ Exploring resources

The library offers amazing support for low and no cost options for students. The CSU Affordable Learning Solutions also shares resources at the California Open Online Library for Education (Cool4Ed.org) if you are interested in exploring more no cost options.

👀 Looking for more?

Read more about the impact of AL$

Additional news, stories, and information about OpenCI

Feb 2018: TLi blog post
March 2018: Editorial in the Ventura County Star
April 2018: Campus-wide video from President Beck
June 2018: CSUCI press release
July 2018: Featured on NPR (on NPR, I say!)
July 2018: Featured in the Camarillo Acorn
July 2018: Featured in the Ventura County Star
July 2018: Featured in Channel Magazine
July 2018: Featured on CI’s homepage
Oct 2018: TLi blog post
Feb 2019: Educause Review
April 2019: VCLA Press Release
August 2019: EdSource Article
Nov 2019: Inside Higher Ed
May 2020: “Textbook Broke”
May 2020: California State Student Assoc Award: Amigo 805
August 2021: Michelson 20MM Foundation Press Release
Dec 2021: Open Education Global Open Research Award
Jan 2022: CSUCI Press Release: $1.8M in Savings
Jan 2022: NPR Segment
Jan 2022: Acorn article (OpenCI)
Feb 2022: Spectrum 1 News
March 2022: Montecito Journal
April 2022: Q&A with 20MM

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