The Libraries’ Course Affordability Initiative (CAI), which was established in 2018, recently surpassed $200,000 in savings for students. The initiative aims to support faculty members in adopting, adapting, or creating Open Educational Resources (OERs) and other low-cost options in order to reduce or eliminate the cost of course materials for students.
Over the last 7 years, the CAI has awarded $25,500 in grants to 33 instructors to incentivize the work of identifying freely available resources and incorporating these materials into new or existing courses. Past grantees have adopted OER textbooks, replaced expensive course texts with articles and books available through the library, and created original materials, such as detailed class notes or 3D models for student exploration. Through these projects, the CAI has saved students an estimated $226,500 on course material costs across 23 courses.
If you are interested in learning more about the CAI or applying for a grant, please reach out to courseaffordability@lafayette.edu.