Two years ago, a casual conversation after class sparked a major change in how U of A students learn supply chain management.

Iana Shaheen, assistant professor of supply chain management in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, saw an opportunity to better serve her students when one of them, Brooke Williard, told her about the Open Educational Resources (OER) program offered through the University Libraries.

"I was very impressed by Brooke — it showed me that the need for this was coming directly from students," Shaheen said. "At that time, I had an optional textbook for my class, but it was so expensive that I didn't want to force students to purchase it."

Shaheen teaches the Honors section of Introduction to Supply Chain Management, a required course for all first-year Walton College students. Instead of relying on costly books, she had been supplementing her class with slides and additional readings. The OER program offered the chance to create something more consistent, structured and completely free for students.

With guidance from Christine Rickabaugh, open education librarian, Shaheen began developing a textbook tailored to her course.

"Honestly, I decided to participate first because the need came from students, and second, because Christine was such a pleasure to work with," she said. "Her energy showed how much she really cares, and she kept showing me resources I wasn't aware of. By working with her, I realized I could grow as a teacher while also creating something meaningful."

The process of developing the book took about a year. Together, they outlined the content, incorporated open access resources and navigated copyright requirements for text, images and videos. Eventually, they found an existing open textbook that could serve as a foundation, building a customized version for Walton students.

Today, the new Introduction to Supply Chain Management textbook is being piloted in Shaheen's classroom, complete with integrated quizzes and assessments. She and Rickabaugh are now working to add PowerPoint slides. Early student feedback has been positive, with more detailed responses expected at the end of the semester.

Shaheen believes OER has wide potential for classes across campus.

"OER is especially beneficial for large classes with multiple sections taught by different instructors. It brings consistency to the learning experience while also removing financial pressure from students," she explained. "At the same time, instructors can adapt the materials to fit their own teaching style."

She also sees opportunities for smaller, specialized courses, where instructors often pull from articles, videos and other supplemental materials. OER allows those resources to be combined in one place, giving students easier access and more flexibility.

Reflecting on the experience, Shaheen expressed gratitude to the campus partners who made it possible.

"A big thank you to the library and the university for supporting such a wonderful program," she said.

The OER program's fall 2025 call for proposals opens Oct. 13. Learn more at libraries.uark.edu/oer.