Rodriguez Receives UTA CARES Innovation Grant

Mr. Julian Rodriguez was recently awarded a UTA CARES Innovation Grant for his project, “Producción de Noticias Televisivas en Español en Estados Unidos de América.” Rodriguez, a Broadcast Communication Specialist in UTA’s Department of Communication, will use the funds to develop and expand an open textbook for Spanish-language television news production in the United States.

The UTA CARES Grant Program, managed by UTA Libraries, helps educators adopt and create open educational resources (OER), which are free course materials that are licensed so others can revise and reuse the content. "Delivering this content at no cost to the student removes a burden that oftentimes prevents education from being accessible and effective,” Rodriguez said. “And this educational resource is too important to be held back behind a checkout cart; we need this content everywhere and without paywalls.”

The OER is written in Spanish and includes American and cross-cultural terminology adaptations innate to the Hispanic media industry. It is currently being piloted by universities across the United States and Latin America, including at Arizona State University, University of Florida, California State University-Fullerton, Universidad Anahuac Mayab in Mexico, and Universidad Javeriana in Colombia. The project represents the first international OER creation project supported by the UTA CARES Grant Program.

"This OER doesn't only reflect my views as author but the spirit of the UTA Libraries and UT Arlington,” Rodriguez said. “We want students to have access to world-class education and to succeed academically and professionally."

The open textbook saved UTA students enrolled in Media Workshop (BCMN 4191) approximately $1,750 in Spring 2020 and saved students around the globe nearly $11,700 in its pilot semester.