As the OER initiative grows, so does the opportunity for students to receive an education they may not have been able to before.
At YC, we know that no matter how determined our students are or what their skills may be, they will all still need help to succeed. Nobody reaches their dreams without the help of others.
I continue to remind our faculty and staff of the impact our work makes on the lives of our students. Each student brings their own story of adversity, successes and hope for a better future. When we deliver on our college mission and vision, we also live out our purpose to serve others and improve their situations. We are privileged to hold positions that allow us to profoundly impact another person’s life.
As president, my passion is to continue providing higher education opportunities to rural areas, like Yavapai County, whose residents need accessible and affordable education.
No one thing will dissolve educational barriers alone, so at YC, we are using multiple efforts to meet the needs of our students.
Open Education Resources (OER)
Since 1998, college textbook costs have risen by 142%, and research shows that 60% of students do not purchase textbooks at some point during their college career because of cost. Another 31% of students don’t take classes at all because of the high-priced learning material.
In August 2020, Yavapai College launched Open Education Resources (OER), an initiative to combat high textbook costs. YC courses were developed using OER, where students would use alternate learning materials, such as free online material and video.
The popularity of these classes was immediate among students. OER classes filled up quickly with students eager to take the financial burden off their plates.
The impact has been astounding. Since fall 2020, Yavapai College students have saved $805,090 in textbook costs by taking OER classes.
In June 2021, Yavapai College spearheaded the Open Textbooks for Rural Arizona Consortium, a collaboration of rural community colleges throughout Arizona to reduce the amount of money students spend on textbooks.
In June 2021, the consortium received $801,218 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to help grow the initiative.
I am proud to announce that earlier in August, the Consortium received an additional $1.19 million from FIPSE, bringing the total to $2 million! The Consortium will now serve students from eight Arizona community colleges in 12 counties.
As the OER initiative grows, so does the opportunity for students to receive an education they may not have been able to before.
I am proud of how far we have come with OER at YC and I promise that we will continue to create more OER classes for students every semester. QCBN
By Lisa B. Rhine
In February 2019, Dr. Lisa B. Rhine became the 10th president of Yavapai College, bringing to the institution more than 30 years of leadership experience across a number of leading colleges and universities in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Dr. Rhine assumed this role with a commitment to advance the mission of the college while ensuring access and support to those for whom opportunities may have been historically limited or denied.
Yavapai College offers over 100 degrees and certificates, student and community services, and cultural events and activities at six locations throughout Yavapai County, including campuses in Prescott and Clarkdale, and centers in Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Sedona and the Prescott Airport.
Lisa B. Rhine, Ph.D., is the president of Yavapai College.
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