Document Type
Blog
Publication Date
3-10-2021
Abstract
Inclusive access programs are spreading throughout colleges and universities on the promise of making education more affordable while increasing student success. The appeal of these programs is the discounts campus bookstores receive from signing a contract with a content provider. Programs with names like immediate access, instant access, direct access, day-one access, etc. are cropping up at large state institution systems and small community colleges alike. Unfortunately, campus Open Educational Resources (OER) advocates rarely have a place at the table for the discussions of adopting one of these programs. While OER and inclusive access differ in their approach, the shared goal of lowering education costs and ensuring students have the materials they need for success should be a good starting point for building relationships. However, the reality of how many of these programs work, and the lack of transparency on the part of publishers makes achieving these partnerships dif cult. At my institution, California State University Fullerton (CSUF), OERadvocates like myself suddenly found ourselves in competition with the bookstore over how affordable learning was discussed on campus. What ensued was a month’s long research project to understand how our inclusive access program started, and what our students and faculty think of the program.