TAMUC Joins OpenStax Institutional Partnership

Texas A&M University-Commerce joined OpenStax, a nonprofit open educational resource from Rice University, in September 2023. OpenStax is the world's largest publisher of free, high-quality, open educational resources such as textbooks and materials for instructors.

Sarah Northam, Director of Research and Instruction Services at A&M-Commerce, said, “OpenStax seeks to improve educational access and democratize learning for everyone. If a faculty member utilizes an OpenStax resource, students don't have to purchase a textbook for that class. It saves students money, and they are able to have immediate access to the book.”

For teachers and professors, OpenStax provides access to unique curriculum and classroom tools. It gives teachers access to a wide variety of materials they might not otherwise have obtained.

It also allows universities to potentially work together by sharing resources and ideas. Currently, OpenStax has around 80 partner schools that work collaboratively on creating more resources, tools, and strategies for instructors, students, and institutions.

A&M-Commerce was accepted as an Institutional Partner in September, along with 15 other universities. The group of universities was the largest to join OpenStax since it began.

Anthony Palmiotto, director of OpenStax, stated in a press release, “I want to give a very warm welcome to this amazing group of colleges and universities, and I'm looking forward to seeing the creative strategies that these [institutions] develop throughout the year.”

Keep an eye out for OpenStax resources to be utilized in classrooms throughout campus in the coming semesters.

(Featured Image: Courtesy of OpenStax)