The Mission

At Waubonsee, we believe that the cost of course materials should never be a barrier to academic success. We are committed to fostering an equitable learning environment by supporting faculty in the transition to high-quality, low-cost, and free instructional materials.

Why It Matters

By prioritizing affordability, we are saving students money and ensuring that every student has access to their required materials on the very first day of class, giving each of our students their best chance of succeeding.

$1.94m
Student savings from OER
$1.91m
Student savings from Inclusive Access
$347k
Student savings from low-cost materials

Our Approach

Reducing the financial burden on students requires a multi-faceted strategy. Our affordability initiatives are categorized into three primary pillars:

person on laptop with coffee L

Open Educational Resources (OER)

Teaching, learning, and research materials that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others.

Books cascading over a laptop

Affordable Educational Materials (AER)

High-quality course materials that are not "openly licensed" but are available at little to no cost to students. This includes library-licensed content (eBooks and journals), low-cost commercial textbooks, and other free/affordable materials.

Sugar Grove Campus Bookstore

MyMaterials Inclusive Access

Inclusive Access is a partnership between the college, the bookstore, and commercial publishers to provide course materials to students at a reduced "market rate."  Students receive access to their materials through Canvas on the first day of class, and the discounted cost is billed directly to the student's account.

Want to learn more?

We're excited to partner with you to make education more accessible, affordable, and innovative at Waubonsee!  Contact our OER & Affordability Specialist to get started!
Brandon Board

Brandon Board

Digital Services Coordinator

bboard@waubonsee.edu

(630) 466-6643