Each quarter, faculty will use Class Books: Adoption & Insight Portal to submit information about their required course materials.
Faculty using OER will:
This information will be used to label courses as OER in ctcLink. See the FAQ below if you are unsure about your particular case. Reach out to Open Education librarian Ryer Banta for more questions and support.
Similarly, low-cost courses will be determined via the Textbook Adoptions.
Reports from the bookstore adoption portal are run. SPSCC Bookstore Manager Michael Wade and Open Education Librarian Ryer Banta identify which courses and sections meet the criteria for OER and Low-Cost ctcLink Labels. We gather more information from faculty when needed. Then we let the instruction office know which courses need to be labelled. Our goal is to have classes accurately labelled by the time students begin registration.
Reach out to Michael and Ryer and we'll get your courses labelled asap.
This document provides directions and parameters to aid SPSCC faculty and administrative assistants in designating courses with “OER: No Textbook to Purchase” or “Low-Cost Textbook” attributes in the ctcLink Class Schedule.
“Open Educational Resources” describe any type of educational materials that are in the public domain or have an open license. This means that these materials can be legally and freely copied, used, adapted and re-shared in the classroom. There are different kinds of open licenses, including “Creative Commons licenses” or “CC licenses.” See the SBCTC OER & Low-Cost Labeling Policies for more information on what does and doesn't qualify for the OER label.
What does it mean for you when designating courses as OER courses? From the student perspective, it means that they do not have to purchase a standard textbook because digital OER are free. This also explains why the course attribute value in ctcLink is labeled “OER: No Textbook to Purchase.”
Not necessarily. OER can be digital, in print, or a combination of both. For example, a CC-licensed e-book that is available for free online or download would qualify as OER, whereas an all-rights-reserved e-book that charges a one-time or rental fee would not qualify as OER.
You will need to use the “Low-Cost Textbooks” label.
If you have no textbook for your course, but have opted for alternatives like online homework platforms and codes or fee-based publisher-provided curricular materials, then this would NOT qualify for the “OER: No Textbook to Purchase” attribute.
If those fees fall below the “Low-Cost Textbook” $50 threshold, then the course may be designated with the “Low-Cost Textbook” attribute.
This means these courses have a $50 cost cap or threshold for materials used in those courses, in an effort to make those courses and materials more affordable for students. The cap for “Low-Cost Textbook” at SPSCC will be at or below $50, the official cap set by students.
Note: The $50 cost cap is pre-tax, so you do not have to factor in tax costs.
Included in the $50 cost cap:
Excluded from the $50 cost cap:
The $50 threshold is based on the pre-tax retail price and is applied to all class sections regardless of the number of credits offered.
As per SBCTC guidelines, the threshold is based on the price at the campus bookstore or charged by the publisher directly, whichever is lower.
For used, rented, and older editions to be included in the Low-Cost labeling,
Prices offered by other third-party vendors such as Amazon.com are not to be considered due to price fluctuation and uncertainty of stock availability.
Optional costs should NOT be included in your calculation. For example: You provide students with a link to a free, online version of your materials but give them the option to purchase materials in print. The cost of optional print materials should NOT be included in your calculation, and the course can be listed as an “OER: No Textbook to Purchase” course. However, if you have required your students to buy the print version of an open textbook, you should include that cost in your calculation; if the print version costs less than the “low cost” $50 cap, then that course can be listed as a “Low-Cost Textbook” course.
If a text is used across multiple courses in a sequence, DO NOT base your calculation on the cost divided by those courses.
As per SBCTC guidelines, prorating the book cost based on the number of credits or number of sections used is not allowed.
For example: A text that costs $120 that is required for 3 sequenced courses DOES NOT meet the $50 or under label requirement, because:
No, a course can only be designated as one or the other. Separating the two also allows for the college to track statistics for courses using OER, as well as savings for students. These courses have to be actively designated (i.e. opt-in); all other courses will remain unmarked by default.
Yes, we use the Bookstore Adoption Process to find which courses to label as OER and Low-Cost. Plus, the Bookstore still needs to know so that they can communicate this information to students. If you are using OER, please include that information by checking the OER box -- even if it’s just for a quarter.
In the Class Schedule search, students can select Course Attribute and select an option. Students can only choose ONE of the options at a time. Course Attribute dropdown menu in the Class Schedule.
These FAQs are adapted from Labeling FAQ by Olympic College OER Steering Committee, licensed CC BY, which is a derivative of FAQ for TCC Faculty and Administrative Assistants about Courses with OER or Low Cost Textbooks by TCC OER Steering Group, licensed CC BY, which is a derivative of Material Costs in the Schedule FAQ by PCC OER Steering Committee, licensed CC BY.
The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has made it possible for students to search in the Class Schedule for courses using "OER: No Textbook to Purchase" or "Low-Cost Textbook“ course attribute.
This labeling requirement is in response to Washington State Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1375, that amended RCW 28B.50 (RCW 28B.50.789), stipulating that a community college shall provide information about the cost of required materials for each course section. Labeling policies are now instituted in the SBCTC Coding Manual and require colleges to identify courses accordingly.
