The Office of the Provost, Student Government Association, and University Libraries set an ambitious goal for AY 2017-18: Save students $1 Million by increasing adoptions of open textbooks.

Today, we’re announcing an additional $127,100 savings for students! Added to the $552,200 reported two weeks ago, Vols are now saving a total of $679,300 thanks to faculty who adopt open textbooks.

Open textbooks are free to students. They are often created by faculty who receive grant funds stipulating that the resulting textbook is openly licensed. The open license gives other instructors the right to modify, mix, and reuse the work however they wish –- from including a few chapters “as-is” for course readings to rewriting entire chapters for a new edition –- without having to pay or seek additional permissions. With open textbooks, students save money and faculty have more flexibility in designing their courses.

The SGA has mounted giant thermometers around campus to measure the total savings. Open textbook adoptions in 2017-18 have impacted an estimated:

• 251 students in Biology 150
• 28 students in Educational Psychology 577
• 1,290 students in Geography 101
• 1,570 students in Physics 221 & 222
• 2,383 students in Psychology 110 & 117
• 828 students in Engineering Fundamentals 151
• 443 students in Engineering Fundamentals 230
• 86 students in Veterinary Medicine 888

We want to know of other instructors who have adopted open textbooks. Tell us here: s.lib.utk.edu/opened.

For more information on faculty who have adopted open textbooks, and to compare open textbooks with other textbook models, visit the Libraries’ Open Education Portal: libguides.utk.edu/opened.