Students registering at the College of DuPage this fall can choose from more than 1,000 course sections that will provide textbooks at no cost.
The Zero Textbook Cost initiative, in which students can not only access textbooks but other materials such as workbooks and study guides for free, will help students by eliminating one financial barrier, college officials said.
Students now will be able to earn an associate of arts degree through the College of DuPage with no textbook costs, which could save up to $1,500 in fees for books and materials per year, said Mark Curtis-Chávez, college provost and chair of the Open Educational Resources Steering Committee.
Having access to textbooks buoys student achievement, Curtis-Chávez said. Students who cannot afford textbooks are more likely to withdraw from a class, struggle academically or simply not take a course, which can lead to needing more time to earn a degree, Curtis-Chávez said.
Last year, more than 4,600 students from 52 colleges and universities throughout Illinois were surveyed about their course material experiences. The respondents attended 22 community colleges, 21 private colleges and universities, and nine public universities. The College of DuPage had 213 students who completed the survey.
The results showed that in all demographic groups the cost of course materials adversely impacted academic careers, according to students. Not only did the cost increase the time they needed complete a degree, it impacted their decisions on course selections.
Some students said they went without food, medicine or other necessities or increased the number of hours they worked per week at their jobs to pay for course materials, according to the survey results. As a result, emotional stress escalated, the survey said.
Survey results, which were released earlier this year, also showed about 69% of students do not purchase the required course materials, 41% take fewer courses, 28% don’t register for a specific course and 23% earned a poor grade because of lack of affordability.
The College of DuPage is taking advantage of open educational resources in which they use teaching materials intentionally created and licensed to be free and in the public domain. Since its inception five years ago, the college’s open educational resources program has saved students more than $7 million in textbook costs, Curtis-Chávez said.
Textbook costs have skyrocketed and publishers frequently update the editions of their books, making the used textbook market less reliable, he said.
Having open educational resources are as good or better than what publishers offer, and the college goes through a rigorous screening process to ensure the material provides a quality education, he said.
COD faculty also create their own open educational resources to use at the school and at colleges throughout the United States, Curtis-Chávez said.
Faculty can customize existing open educational resources to meet their course needs, said Lauren Kosrow, the college’s digital content and open access librarian.
Students registering for courses this fall can filter their searches by those sections that are a part of the Zero Textbook Cost initiative, Kosrow said. Many of the college’s most common course sections take part in the initiative, she said.
“This is entirely focused on student success,” Kosrow said. “We know the cost of textbooks can be a big financial burden and a challenge for students to achieve their educational goals. The end result for students is their course materials are provided free the first day of class.”
Curtis-Chávez said this is one way to close the opportunity gap and provide equitable education, regardless of a student’s socioeconomic status.
He noted that about a third of those who attend COD are first-generation college students. Roughly half of Hispanic students a third of Black students begin at community colleges.
In DuPage County, about 100,000 residents have taken some college courses but have not finished their degree, data shows. The Zero Textbook Cost initiative could be one factor that motivates adult students to return to the classroom, Curtis-Chávez said.
The initiative is available to all college students, regardless of their year in school, and in such courses as English, math, physics, geography, photography and criminal justice.
More sections are expected to be added in the future, Curtis-Chávez said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
