A common misunderstanding about private colleges is that there is no need for affordable course materials such as open educational resources (OER). The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) is a consortium supporting 24 private institutions across Indiana with their OER efforts via the PALSave affordable learning program. Given the higher tuition price tag, isn't the cost of textbooks just a drop in the bucket? PALNI has encountered this challenging misconception in its efforts to educate faculty about OER. Drawing from recent literature, national data, results from PALNI’s pilot student textbook survey, and further anecdotal evidence gathered from PALNI Affordable Learning participants, this presentation aims to dispel this myth. This session will demonstrate that students at private institutions are quite concerned with and negatively affected by the costs of textbooks, and that many of their faculty are in fact receptive to lowering textbook costs in pursuit of increased student success, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learning Outcomes: Identify the myths and misconceptions about OER at private institutions. Explore the financial situation private school students face. Learn about real-world applications of OER programs at private institutions. Understand the need for OER programs at private institutions.
