OVERVIEW
Open Educational Resources – Strategic Direction (Textbook Affordability Program)
The Open Educational Resources – Strategic Direction report outlines a comprehensive institutional approach for implementing the Textbook Affordability Program (TAP) at MacEwan University. Built on two core principles—first-day access to affordable textbooks for every student and sustained faculty autonomy in selecting course materials—the report provides the conceptual and operational architecture for advancing OER adoption, adaptation, and creation at scale. It defines the roles and responsibilities of project stakeholders, including librarians, instructional designers, technologists, developmental editors, and faculty subject matter experts.
The document presents an actionable service model that includes workflow design, quality assurance processes, professional development pathways, metadata and repository requirements, and licensing considerations. It also recommends a pilot phase (3–5 projects), strategies for sustainability, and an optional university-press model aligned with institutional scholarly infrastructure. Together, these components offer a blueprint for coordinated, scalable, and future-ready OER implementation that enhances affordability, accessibility, and pedagogical innovation across the university.
IMPACT
Institutional Impact of the OER Strategic Direction
This report had significant institutional impact by establishing MacEwan University’s first unified, evidence-informed framework for textbook affordability and open education. It shifted OER work from ad-hoc, individual faculty efforts to a system-level strategy with clear governance, workflows, and service pathways.
By identifying the required personnel, service structures, and quality assurance mechanisms, the report provided a roadmap for operationalizing OER across disciplines. Its recommendations helped shape pilot planning, clarified the roles of librarians and educational developers, and advanced institutional conversations around sustainability, interoperability, and copyright. The introduction of a service model and an optional university-press approach positioned MacEwan as a future leader in open education, aligned with both local needs and global commitments to accessible, equitable learning.
Ultimately, the report strengthened the university’s capacity to support faculty, reduce student costs, and integrate open pedagogy into mainstream academic practice — laying the foundation for long-term impact in teaching and learning innovation.