Course Materials Conversion Program Call for Proposals Open

Graphic Design by Ariel Romero

Each semester, the U of A Libraries and Global Campus offer incentives for faculty to reduce the cost of textbooks for their students by using Open Educational Resources.  

The Course Materials Conversion Program provides faculty with extra compensation. Successful applicants can receive $3,000 for adopting open educational resources, $4,500 for adapting existing open educational resources to meet their needs or $7,500 for creating their own. Visit the OER Course Materials Conversion program website to learn more about the program and the difference between these three options.  

All potential applicants for the conversion program must first schedule pre-application consultations before Feb. 14, during which they will receive an application form. After the consultation, potential participants will have until Feb. 17 to complete applications. Submitted project applications are reviewed and scored by the Open Educational Resources Team and campus advisory group.  

"We are excited to invite faculty once again to participate in the OER Course Materials Conversion Program," said Elaine Thornton, open education and distance learning librarian. "This program supports faculty efforts to adopt and create innovative teaching resources that fit the needs of their students while helping reduce the cost of attendance for University of Arkansas students."  

The OER Course Materials Conversion Program began providing funding to faculty in 2017. Since then, over 8,100 students have benefited from the reduced cost of course materials. To learn more about OER and find resources, please visit the Finding Open Educational Resources research guide.