Textbook Affordability Program
In response to the rapidly increasing price of textbooks, the George Fox University Library established the Textbook Affordability Program to reduce cost and to help students in their academic success.
The program started in 2016 as an Open Textbook Initiative, funded by a George Fox Innovation Grant from the Office of the President. Due to the high return on investment, the Textbook Affordability Program was permanently funded in 2018 and is no longer a grant-funded endeavor.
In 2019, the Textbook Affordability program celebrated a major milestone when it surpassed $1 million in George Fox student savings.
Dual Strategy: Open Textbooks and Library E-books
Open Textbooks
The library works with faculty as they adopt or adapt open textbooks as the basis for their course. Benefits to students include a reduction in the cost of attending college and increased opportunities for engagement and academic success.
Library E-books
The library provides access to over 500,000 e-books. If we don't already own the texts you use, we are eager to purchase them (Traditional textbooks are not normally available for the library to purchase as e-books). Students may use them instead of, or in addition to, a print copy that they purchase.
Helping with textbook affordability is a library goal. George Fox librarians look forward to working with faculty colleagues to provide high quality educational resources to students while saving them money. Contact your librarian subject liaison with questions regarding library e-books, and Robin Ashford (rashford@georgefox.edu) with questions and further information about open textbooks.
Learn more about George Fox faculty involvement with open textbooks and the textbook affordability program from our blog posts.
Educause Learning Initiative (ELI) Annual Meeting 2019 Presentation
More About Open Textbooks
Regularly updated page of OER, textbook affordability, George Fox faculty reviews and adoptions, research and news.
Colvard, Nicholas, and C. Edward Watson. "The Impact of Open Educational Resources on Various Student Success Metrics." International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30.2 (2018): 262-275.
Investigated benefits for using OER beyond cost savings. Nearly 22,000 students were studied between 2010 and 2016, about half in non-OER classes and half in OER classes. In addition to cost savings of more than $3 million, study found that OER significantly improved outcomes in courses for underserved populations: students who received Pell Grants, non-White students and part-time students.