An Ohio University-Zanesville faculty member and others across the state were recognized by Gov. Ted Strickland and his top education official last Tuesday for introducing their classes to more affordable digital course materials.
Charles Savage, a music professor at the Zanesville campus, was among the 10 recipients of the University System of Ohio's first Faculty Innovator Awards
according to a news release.
Savage presented digital materials in his introductory music theory class and substituted printed textbooks with digital chapter notes, workbooks and audio files.
These programs will reduce student expenses and reward faculty who apply their substantial intellectual property into reusable course materials that can be delivered without the costly overhead of traditional publishing said Eric Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, in a news release.
In April 2008, the University System of Ohio sponsored a textbook affordability symposium, which challenged students, faculty, bookstore managers and publishers to find more affordable options for students instead of purchasing textbooks.
Less than six months later, the University System of Ohio made an agreement with six commercial publishers to provide Ohio college students, including OU students, with discounts when purchasing electronic textbooks from Ohio Textbook Portal. Because OU is a member of OhioLINK, students can receive an additional 10 percent when purchasing through Ohio Textbook Portal.
The price of textbooks is often seen as a barrier to some students who want to enroll in our colleges and universities Strickland said in a news release. The University System of Ohio is taking these important steps to tackle the rising price of textbooks and ensure that no student is prevented from going to college because of his or her financial situation.
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Rachel Ferchak
