UW Libraries Names Alternative Textbook Grant Recipients

University of Wyoming Libraries recently awarded alternative textbook grants to two faculty members to implement open educational resources (OER) in their classes this fall.

The alternative textbooks resulting from the grants are projected to save UW students more than $18,800 per semester.

“These recipients are adapting and creating open materials for foundational courses that will have a broad impact on students,” says Chealsye Bowley, digital scholarship librarian. “What is especially exciting about this grant cycle is the potentially nationwide and even global use of the created materials for art history and social work courses.”

Grants are awarded to instructors who adopt, adapt or create new open textbooks or other materials for their courses. Grant awards range from $1,500 to $3,000.

The grant recipients are:

College of Arts and Sciences 

-- Tracy Eckersley, a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Visual Arts. Eckersley, who teaches “Art History Survey I,” is adapting openly licensed materials to replace the required textbook for this foundational course requirement for all art history, studio and art education students.

College of Health Sciences  

-- Sandra Leotti, an assistant professor in the Division of Social Work. Leotti teaches “Advanced Generalist Practice” and will be collaboratively creating openly licensed social work case studies with graduate students. The case study OER will be focused on Wyoming and rural case studies, and will be widely shared with instructors across the continent to help bridge gaps in rural social work education.

UW Libraries will award another round of grants for the spring 2022 semester. Proposals for that award period are due Friday, Oct. 29.

For more information, visit https://uwyo.libguides.com/oer/grants; or call Bowley at (307) 766-6860 or email cbowley@uwyo.edu.