Research Guides: Textbook Affordability and Open Educational Resources (OER): Oregon Legislation

Oregon's OER initiative - HB2871

The State of Oregon, through House Bill 2871, made a "legislative investment in the area of textbook affordability, with a specific focus on the development of Open Educational Resources (OER)" (HECC, 2015). In layperson language, Oregon has asked public colleges and universities to work to reduce textbooks costs for students.

Oregon House Bill 2871 highlights:

Section 1: Provides funding to develop OER for 15 high enrollment courses across the state
- Impact for CCC: Easily accessible, available, reviewed OER and materials for high enrollment courses like WR121, PSY101 and other general education courses will become available soon.
Section 2: Provides funding for statewide OER Specialist to support identifying, developing and adopting OER in Oregon higher education
- Impact for CCC: Additional support, help and funding from the State of Oregon
Section 4: Each public university listed in ORS 352.002 and community college shall prominently designate courses whose course materials exclusively consist of open or free textbooks or other low-cost or no-cost course materials. The course designation required by this section must appear in the published course descriptions that are on the Internet or are otherwise provided to students at the time of course registration, including on the campus bookstore course materials list that is provided for the course.
- Impact for CCC: CCC is developing and implementing a sustainable process and system to designate OER courses at CCC.

Thank you CCC HB2871 Workgroup for the above language.

OER Legislative Update
This link will also take to the Oregon Legislative Update if the box above appears blank.

Other Oregon State Legislation

Oregon HB 2919
This is the Oregon House bill that informs on-time course material reporting. In an attempt to improve upon transparency with regards to course material cost, the State of Oregon requires that "each public institution of higher education shall prominently display, or establish a link on the Internet to a
website that displays, the estimated costs of all required course materials and directly related course fees for no less than 75 percent of the total number of for-credit courses offered
by the public institution." The information must be made available no later than when course registration opens.
Oregon HB 2213
This is the Oregon house bill that informs our textbook affordability plan. In an effort to reduce course material costs for Oregon students, the State of Oregon requires that Oregon community colleges and public universities must establish a textbook affordability plan that contains "measurable goals for increasing textbook affordability."

Federal Legislation

The Higher Education Opportunity Act was enacted in August of 2008. This legislation aimed to make course materials more affordable for college students by requiring "transparency and disclosure" in regards to course materials. That transparency included a directive to include, "to the maximum extent practicable," the ISBN and cost of course materials in the class schedule. In lieu of an ISBN and price, colleges are able to post "to be determined" and remain in compliance with this legislation.