Coalinga and Diablo Valley Colleges Honored for Expanding Free, Open-Source Textbooks Programs
Coalinga College and Diablo Valley College have been honored by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors with 2024-25 Exemplary Program Awards for their outstanding efforts in expanding free, open-source textbooks and instructional materials for students.
Diablo Valley College
The Open Educational Resources (OER@DVC) at Diablo Valley College (DVC) is a program aimed at reducing and eliminating textbook costs to achieve inclusive and equitable student excellence. Led by Andrea Sorce and Lindsey Shively, the program has been instrumental in transforming the culture of curriculum development at DVC by promoting OER and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) sections. Through strategic use of grants, such as a $60,000 LibreText grant and an $860,000 California ZTC Program grant, the program has saved students significant amounts per semester and expanded ZTC sections. The initiative also focuses on outreach, relationship-building, and districtwide collaboration, creating the Districtwide OER Council (DOERC) to unify efforts across the district.
“Open Educational Resources play a vital role in making learning materials accessible and affordable for students, a key priority for the Board of Governors,” said Chancellor Sonya Christian. “We are proud of the innovative efforts at Coalinga College, which simplify the adoption of open resources for instructors, and at Diablo Valley College, where grants are being used to expand program sections and save students money on textbooks. These initiatives are advancing our system's progress toward achieving the goals outlined in California Community Colleges’ Vision 2030.”
Read the full press release from California Community Colleges.
