Hi Everyone,

I've started a bit of a Google Doc here, using the CARL asks as a template. I've included a space where people or institutions can sign on at the end.

The justification/rationale for the recommendations is a bit underdeveloped at this point, but it can easily be expanded.  I've also not put OER in the title, because I think outside of OER circles the term is quite opaque. 

The document should be editable by all.  In terms of logistics, it would make sense if we stopped editing the text of the document by July 26th at the latest, as that way people who endorse the document in the final week know the text won't change.  I can take on the responsibility of submitting a copy of the document to the Finance Committee on Aug 2.

Michael

On Tue, Jul 2, 2024 at 11:31 AM Canada Open Education Resources <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca> wrote:

I like the idea of working from the CARL submission and asking others to sign on.

I also really like this policy/advocacy suggestion which also strikes me as an initiative that could benefit from some one-time funding to support implementation.

Rajiv

 

Rajiv Jhangiani, Ph.D. (he/him/his)A button for name playback in email signature

Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning

Brock University

Niagara Region | 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way | St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1  

e rjhangiani@brocku.ca | w brocku.ca

 

Executive Assistant: Lara Martin e lmartin7@brocku.ca

 

My working hours might vary substantially from yours. Please do not feel any pressure or obligation to respond to messages outside of your working hours.

 

Brock University is located on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. The territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement. Today these lands are the home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and acknowledging them reminds us that our great standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous people.

 

 

 

From: Canada Open Education Resources <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca>
Date: Friday, June 28, 2024 at 8:20 AM
To: canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca>
Subject: [Canadaoer] Re: Federal Pre-Budget Consultation (2025) - Briefs Due Aug 2

I know this is not a budget ask but related-  it would be nice of we also worked on convincing the  government to pass  something like USA's Higher Education Opportunity Act where textbook prices are required to be in the course catalogue, and requires publishers to offer unbundled supp. materials. Then they are following up with the Affordable College Textbook Act (https://www.smith.senate.gov/senator-smith-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-help-make-college-textbooks-more-affordable/#:~:text=The%20Affordable%20College%20Textbook%20Act,to%20freely%20access%20the%20materials. )

 

(maybe we already are?)

Jasmine

 

From: Canada Open Education Resources <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca>
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2024 3:57 PM
To: canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca>
Subject: [Canadaoer] Re: Federal Pre-Budget Consultation (2025) - Briefs Due Aug 2

 

Hi all:

 

This is CARL's budget statement on OER from Feb 9th, 2024. We are planning to have our pre-budget submissions submitted by mid-July (July 12th) and can share what we have changed then. We are going to be revising our ask to acknowledge some changes regarding Indigenous OER and Francophone funding advocacy.

 

Federal Support for Canadian Open Educational Resources (OER) 

 

Academic libraries recognize that the use of OER in educational contexts provides numerous benefits to both students and instructors. The cost of textbooks and other course materials can present major financial hurdles for students. With textbooks costing students between $800-$1,000 per year, some students are forced to make difficult financial choices, especially now with inflation and cost of living increases.3 For post-secondary students and faculty, the primary benefit of OER is access to cost free learning materials, as well as access to online resources that are created with pedagogical innovation in mind. Investment in OER has repeatedly been found to produce savings for students and their families: estimated student savings from British Columbia exceed $31.5 million, and eCampus Ontario notes an average of $101 in savings for each student for each course they take that uses an OER. While we recognize that education is largely a provincial and territorial jurisdiction, CARL and other post-secondary education stakeholders believe there remains an important responsibility for the federal government to foster national initiatives to support OER. As a founding UNESCO member, Canada is responsible for upholding and advancing the principles outlined in the UNESCO Recommendation on OER (UNESCO, 2019). It calls for building supportive policies for OER, which happens most effectively at the federal level. 

 

We propose that a federal commitment to OER be administered through several federal departments or agencies in a funding cycle of a three-year pilot funding: 

 

 ● A $10M pilot program to foster OER creation and enable deployment of common production and discovery infrastructure, administered through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council on behalf of the tri-agencies. 

 ● An additional $10M for Indigenous OER to 1) build capacity for Indigenous communities to develop their own OER, including Indigenous language materials, administered by Indigenous Services Canada; and 2) develop OER related to Truth and Reconciliation, relevant to both Indigenous and non Indigenous Canadian settlers, administered by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. 

● Out of the existing $1.4B allocated to the Action Plan for Official Languages: 2023-20284 , earmark $10M under the pillar “Promoting Lifelong Learning Opportunities” to support bilingual OER and the advancement of Official languages, administered by Canadian Heritage. 

 

Recommendation: Provide new funding of $20M divided into two $10M funding initiatives spread over three years through targeted federal agencies, to foster increased production and use of Open Educational Resources in post-secondary education. In addition, assign $10M of the $1.4B already allocated to the Action Plan for Official Languages: 2023-2028 to support bilingual OER and the advancement of Official Languages.  

 

 3 “Budgeting for student life,” Financial Consumer Agency of Canada https://bit.ly/3eV1J5C, and “Fixing The Broken Textbook Market,” 2nd ed. 2020, https://bit.ly/3kqxYL6   

 

Thanks

Ann

 

 

On Thu, Jun 27, 2024 at 1:00 PM Canada Open Education Resources <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca> wrote:

I certainly don't have any real evidence as to which approach would be better (it is an excellent research question, but no one has really studied the federal pre-budget consultation process in a great amount of detail).  I do think, given the summer, it may be easier to go the second route - have a few key asks and invite individuals and organizations to sign on.  I think coordinating through each organization at this point is probably too complicated.

 

In that regard, are there any logical starting points.  I believe CARL has asked for $30 million total, $10 each for policy & infrastructure, Indigenous OER and francophone OER.  Is this a potential starting point? Are there any other ideas?  We can use the Framework document to anchor all of our asks as it has much of the justification written up.

 

On Tue, Jun 25, 2024 at 8:46 AM Canada Open Education Resources <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca> wrote:

This is a great idea Michael and I really appreciate you being alert to (and sharing) this opportunity. Do you have a sense of which of the two approaches that you propose would carry more weight?

Cheers,

Rajiv

 

Rajiv Jhangiani, Ph.D. (he/him/his)A button for name playback in email signature

Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning

Brock University

Niagara Region | 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way | St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1  

e rjhangiani@brocku.ca | w brocku.ca

 

Executive Assistant: Lara Martin e lmartin7@brocku.ca

 

My working hours might vary substantially from yours. Please do not feel any pressure or obligation to respond to messages outside of your working hours.

 

Brock University is located on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. The territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement. Today these lands are the home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and acknowledging them reminds us that our great standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous people.

 

 

 

From: Canada Open Education Resources <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca>
Date: Monday, June 24, 2024 at 12:05 PM
To: canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca <canadaoer@lists.bccampus.ca>
Subject: [Canadaoer] Federal Pre-Budget Consultation (2025) - Briefs Due Aug 2

Hi Everyone,

 

The House of Commons Finance Committee (FINA) has announced its regular pre-budget consultation (for 2025). Link: https://www.ourcommons.ca/committees/en/FINA/StudyActivity?studyActivityId=12835898

 

In that regard, perhaps there could be some sort of coordinated approach - either we could aim to have groups and individuals agree on a common ask (perhaps based on the advocacy work to date/the National Framework), or alternatively we could develop a document that would allow anyone to sign on and then try to get as many signatories as possible.

 

I recognize coordinating over July is a bit of a mess (especially with the brief due right before a long weekend).

 

Michael

 

 

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