The Channels : SBCC launches Textbook Affordability Program

"'The ultimate goal [of this program] is to significantly reduce costs of textbooks at the school,' said Bryanna Siguenza, student senate vice president of external affairs. 'That would be a huge benefit [for students].'

The program works by encouraging professors to replace expensive textbooks with high-quality free alternatives called open educational resources (OERs). The OERs that City College is looking to adopt come from the non-profit organization OpenStax, that have published 25 textbooks to date.

The Textbook Affordability Program has been in the works for some time, and originally got its start earlier this year when the school applied for a state grant covered under the California Textbook Affordability Act. The grant was approved and the program expects to receive the $40,000 very soon.

Although OERs are free, running the program isn’t. Camerin Poulson, the program coordinator, plans on using the grant to host a number of workshops around campus to get faculty familiar with OERs. Each workshop is expected to cost around $500, and one would take place every few months.

Poulson also hopes that a stipend incentive program will further encourage adoption of OERs at City College. Under the program, professors could receive as much as $500 to read through an OER and write a review for it."