Opening Public Institutions: OER In ND and The Nation 2015

This research would not be possible without the assistance of a number of organizations. First, we wish to thank The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for their considerable help in framing previous projects. Their background and knowledge of open educational resources was invaluable in helping to define the focus for all aspects of the study. This project is supported by the 64th North Dakota State Legislature and specifically, members of the 2013 Interim Higher Education Funding Committee, a bipartisan group of legislators, who believe that lowering the cost of textbooks will make a positive difference for students. We also want to thank the State Board of Higher Education for including Open Educational Resources in its 2015-2020 strategic plan. Finally, the report presents results derived from North Dakota University System and a national-representative sample of higher education teaching faculty at public institutions. Thanks must also be given to the organizations that made the national studies, upon which this report is modeled, possible. The Global Healthy Living Foundation provided administration of the Hewlett Foundation grant for the most recent BSRG national study and Pearson provided the resources that allowed the construction of an expansive, nationally representative faculty sample. Perhaps most importantly, we want to thank the faculty members, both nationally and in North Dakota, who took the time to provide us with their detailed and thoughtful responses. We understand that these dedicated professionals are very busy people, and appreciate their efforts. This report would not be possible without our esteemed teachers, and we hope this report will be useful to them.