The Queens College Library announces the continuation of our Open Educational Resources (OER) Faculty Fellowship program and welcomes applications for the academic year 2022-2023!

Faculty applicants are sought for first-time fellows in our full seminar experience and for returning fellows for our refresher seminar. Apply by July 1 – applications received before June 15th will receive priority consideration.

Why OER?

Before the pandemic, 42% of CUNY students reported household incomes under $20,000, yet CUNY students can expect to spend an average of $1,364 on textbooks annually. Since the onset of COVID-19, the financial situation for our students has only become more urgent: A survey of CUNY students in April 2020 found that almost 38% of students reported losing their jobs due to COVID-19 – and essential or front-line workers make up 50% of the CUNY students still employed.

Our Queens College students have reported maxing out multiple credit cards, and having to choose between textbooks and other necessities – like transportation costs or medical bills or trying to complete coursework without buying required course textbooks!

You can help.

OER Faculty Fellows improve the success rate of Queens College students by reducing the financial burden to them of high-cost textbooks – Fellows generate free high-quality alternatives that are up-to-date, accessible, innovative, and pedagogically responsible!

OER Faculty Fellowship: Eligibility, Requirements, Compensation

The Queens College Library will help first-time OER Faculty Fellows find, create, evaluate, and implement OER and/or Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) materials for a course that will run in Spring or Fall 2023. For more information about how OER and ZTC can help our students, visit the Library Guide to Open Educational Resources and Zero Textbook Cost Materials.

Both full-time and part-time faculty are eligible for the fellowship. Applicants are expected to clear their participation with their department chair prior to applying.
OER Faculty Fellows commit to:

• Actively participate in an OER fellowship seminar in Fall 2022, which will consist of four units with synchronous and asynchronous elements
• Develop a fully OER or ZTC course (materials due June 6, 2023)
• Teach at least one section of the OER or ZTC course in Spring or Fall 2023
• Submit course materials to our institutional repository, CUNY Academic Works
• Write a brief (200-500 word) end-of-fellowship narrative (due June 6, 2023)

If you are a department lead for a core course with multiple sections and are interested in converting from an expensive required textbook to a free, open alternative, please contact our OER coordinator, Dr. Leila Walker, Digital Scholarship Librarian at [email protected] prior to applying. Our fellowship program can consider alternative arrangements for the course lead and the multiple section instructors.

Compensation for first-time OER Faculty Fellows is a $2,500 stipend in recognition of their labor.

Apply today! Questions? Contact Dr. Leila Walker at [email protected].

Returning OER Faculty Fellows

This year, we are inviting past Fellows to apply for a fast-track refresher fellowship to convert an additional course to OER. Faculty selected for this opportunity will:

• Meet for one 90-minute refresher seminar on OER principles and practice
• Develop a fully OER or ZTC course (materials due June 6, 2023)
• Teach at least one section of the OER or ZTC course in Fall 2022 or Spring 2023
• Submit course materials to our institutional repository, CUNY Academic Works
• Write a brief (200-500 word) end-of-fellowship narrative (due June 6, 2023)

The QC Library will support the finding, adapting, and adopting OER/ZTC materials throughout the year. The compensation for returning Fellows will be a $2,000 stipend.

Apply today! Questions? Contact Dr. Leila Walker at [email protected].

Opportunities for Faculty Teaching Courses with Multiple Sections

In order to encourage widespread use of materials created through the OER Faculty Fellowship program, we are pleased to support faculty willing to teach a section of a core course for which the OER Faculty Fellow lead has already developed an OER or ZTC version.

Faculty teaching a section or sections of an OER course for the first time will receive a $500 stipend in recognition of their labor.

For more information, or to learn about OER courses developed at QC in your field of study, contact Dr. Leila Walker at [email protected].

Additional funding is also available for large-scale OER creation projects involving multiple faculty or student workers. For more information or to discuss a potential project, contact Dr. Leila Walker at [email protected].