ACCESS AND INNOVATION - The Use of OER at Smaller Independent Colleges and Universities to Support Historically Underrepresented Students

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor

ACCESS AND INNOVATION examines how open educational resources (OER) are used by smaller independent colleges and universities to improve educational access for historically underrepresented students. It outlines the landscape of OER in the sector, summarizes findings from an initial survey, and presents case studies of multiple institutions. The report identifies goals, approach, and evidence-based recommendations focused on supporting, sustaining, and scaling OER to reduce textbook costs and strengthen student success.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Executive Summary

Goals

Approach and Findings

Recommendations

Introduction

Landscape of OER at Independent Colleges

Findings from the Initial Survey

Supporting and Sustaining OER at Independent Institutions: Case Studies

Aurora University

Lynn University

University of Redlands

Caldwell University and Fairleigh Dickinson University

Bethune-Cookman University

Findings and Recommendations

Appendix: CIC Member Colleges and Universities Surveyed for This Report

References

ACCESS AND INNOVATION The Use of OER at Smaller Independent Colleges and Universities to Support Historically Underrepresented Students MAY 2022 PREPARED BY EDBRIDGE PARTNERS, LLC A REPORT FOR © 2022 by the Council of Independent Colleges This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or)[ or](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or)[ ](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ or)[send a letter to Creative Commons](send a letter to Creative Commons), PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. About the Council of Independent Colleges The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of 762 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates, that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on services to leaders of independent colleges and universities and state-based councils. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility. CIC conducts the largest annual conferences of college and university presidents and of chief academic officers in the United States. Founded in 1956, CIC is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. For more information, [visit](visit www.cic.edu)[ www.cic.edu](visit www.cic.edu). Acknowledgment The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation provided generous support for the research project, Affordable Access: OER at CIC, and this accompanying report. About the Authors This project was directed by edBridge Partners, whose specialists were the principal authors of this report. The project’s initial research was led by CIC Senior Advisor Deanna Marcum, former managing director of Ithaka S+R and associate librarian for library services of the Library of Congress. The Use of OER at Smaller Independent Colleges and Universities to Support Historically Underrepresented Students Table of Contents Foreword ............................................................... 1 Executive Summary ........................................................ 2 Goals............................................................... 2 Approach and Findings .................................................. 2 Recommendations ..................................................... 3 Introduction ............................................................. 5 Landscape of OER at Independent Colleges ....................................... 6 The Use of OER at Independent Colleges and Institutions That Serve Historically Underrepresented Students ..................................... 6 Findings from the Initial Survey ............................................ 7 Supporting and Sustaining OER at Independent Institutions: Case Studies................. 13 Aurora University: Caring for Students by Using Open Educational Resources ........................ 13 Lynn University: Using Faculty Publishing to Encourage OER Use ................................ 14 University of Redlands: Leveraging Informal, Grassroots Efforts to Build and Sustain OER Use ................ 16 Caldwell University and Fairleigh Dickinson University: Experiences of Two Institutions under a State Mandate to Expand OER ............... 17 Bethune-Cookman University: Serving as a Knowledge Hub for OER Implementation within the HBCU Network ........ 21 Findings and Recommendations ............................................... 22 Appendix: CIC Member Colleges and Universit

FAQs

What problem does the report address regarding historically underrepresented students?

It focuses on how rising textbook costs and other barriers can limit enrollment and persistence for students from historically underrepresented groups. It emphasizes how OER can reduce these costs and expand access to tailored learning materials.

How does the report study OER use at smaller independent institutions?

It provides a snapshot of the OER landscape, summarizes findings from an initial survey, and includes supporting/sustaining case studies from multiple colleges and universities.

What kinds of recommendations does the report aim to provide?

The report offers recommendations intended to help institutions support, sustain, and expand OER use, with attention to the needs of student populations that are historically underrepresented in higher education.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Connor