UTA Libraries Welcomes More Than 20 University Systems, Organizations for Open Education Meeting

UTA Libraries played host to more than 20 university systems and higher education organizations Nov. 11-13 for a meeting of the Driving OER Sustainability for Student Success (DOERS³) Collaborative.

DOERS³ was established in 2017 by the University System of Maryland (USM), City University of New York (CUNY), and State University of New York (SUNY) and launched in the fall of 2018. This collaborative is open to public higher education systems and state/province-wide organizations that support large-scale Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives and are committed to advancing innovation in OER.

The meeting at UTA was set to narrow down a list of SMART projects—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based—that would advance three components of the work: equity, research, and capacity-building. Members met in person as well as virtually.

Rebecca Bichel, dean of UTA Libraries, was joined by Rebecca Karoff, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the UT System, in welcoming leaders from:

• Affordable Learning Georgia
• Affordable Learning Solutions
• Alabama Commission on Higher Education
• BC Campus
• CCCOER
• Colorado Community College System
• Colorado Department of Higher Education
• Community College System of New Hampshire
• Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System
• CUNY System
• Deep Consulting
• eCampusOntario
• Higher Education Compacts
• Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
• MHEC
• OhioLINK
• Open Oregon
• SUNY System
• Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
• University of Colorado System
• University of Connecticut
• University of Maryland System
• University of Texas - Austin
• University of Wisconsin System Administration
• Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Karoff was impressed by the reception she received at UTA and looks forward to the future of OER in the hands of UTA Libraries.

“The UTA Libraries serves as a hub of student engagement, deep learning and success with a set of innovative programs that are absolutely awe-inspiring,” Karoff said. “The UTA Libraries are a model—they set a gold standard—for what libraries are and can be.”

Deepak “Deep” Shenoy, owner of Deep Consulting and manager of DOERS³, says that, in addition to the core goals of the meeting, the coalition was able to accomplish some much-needed teambuilding.

“We had a chance to build networks and collaboration among different state systems,” Shenoy said. “I think we really learned a lot from each other…Dean Bichel and her team’s hospitality added a lot of energy and warmth to the meeting that helped us get that done.”

Bichel says the meeting exceeded even her highest expectations and inspired her as well as her colleagues to more deeply explore opportunities and partnerships to enhance the openness and affordability of learning materials for UTA students.

“UTA is a preeminent OER institution, and still there is so much to learn,” Bichel said. “From the breakout sessions to the one-on-one discussions, the exchange of ideas and knowledge has been excellent. I hope as the DOERS³ Collaborative continue to meet we pioneer no-cost solutions for students around the country.”

UTA recently invested $500,000 to fund OER led by UTA Libraries in the 2019-20 academic year, the largest award by a public academic institution in the state of Texas specifically supporting such initiatives.

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In the photo, from left to right:

Leslie Kennedy, Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor, California State University; M.J. Bishop, Associate Vice Chancellor & Director, Kirwan Center, University System of Maryland; Robert Awkward, Director of Learning Outcomes Assessment, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education; Jeff Gallant, Program Director, Affordable Learning Georgia; Ann Fiddler, Open Education Librarian, CUNY; Brittany Dudek, Library Coordinator, Colorado Community College System; Andrew McKinney, OER Coordinator, CUNY; Deepak Shenoy, Deep Consulting; Julie Pohlman, Library Program Director, University of Wisconsin System; Clarenda Phillips, Provost & VP for Academic Affairs, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Deborah Keyek-Franssen, Associate Vice President for Digital Education & Engagement, University of Colorado System; Michelle Reed, Director of Open Educational Resources, UTA Libraries; Rebecca Karoff, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UT System; Rebecca Bichel, Dean of UTA Libraries.

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Supporting The University of Texas at Arlington and the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region, UTA Libraries create transformational learning experiences by connecting people to first-class resources, empowering knowledge creation, exploring ideas and pursuing innovations in learning. The UTA FabLab offers all students access to cutting-edge technology for research in digital fabrication and data visualization. UTA Libraries Special Collections focuses on the history of Texas, Mexico and the Southwest, and includes one of the finest cartographical collections on Texas and the Gulf of Mexico in the world. The Libraries recently completed an $800,000 cold storage preservation vault for its collection of approximately 5 million photographic negatives. To learn more about UTA Libraries, please visit http://library.uta.edu.

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Alexandra Pirkle, Editorial Services Coordinator

817-272-1502

alexandra.pirkle@uta.edu