OER For Students

Students can be a powerful voice for change when it comes to textbook affordability and OER usage here at TTU! Learn how you can be involved with OER below!

Find Courses Using Low to No-Cost Textbooks

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Texas Senate Bill 810

This bill, passed in 2018, states that all public institutions of higher education in the state of Texas will put together a list of required course materials, including OER, in a course schedule every semester and post that list within the institution's website. Here at Texas Tech, course schedules are in RaiderLink. This bill also states that institutions should provide a way for students to search for classes using OER within the course schedule.

You can read the exact wording of the entirety of TX SB 810 at this link.

Students at Texas Tech University can now search for courses that are using low to no cost textbooks when they are browsing for classes to take during registration! These low to no cost textbooks can include open educational resources (OER), open access materials, or materials found within TTU Libraries' databases and collections.

Click on this link to learn how to search for courses using Low to No Cost materials in RaiderLink.

Advocate for OER Usage

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Speak to your SGA Senator or SGA Leadership about OER!

The TTU Libraries OER Office works closely with the Student Government Association in order to help make higher education more affordable. The more SGA knows about the needs of the students, the more they can help!

Talk to your professors!

Many professors at TTU want to help make things more affordable for their students. If textbook affordability is or has been a struggle for you, talk to your professors and encourage them to learn more about OER! Tell them to email libraries.oer@ttu.edu if they have questions.

Watch for opportunities!

Watch for announcements from the TTU Libraries or SGA for opportunities to either learn more about OER or to get involved with trying to help!

Nominate faculty who are using Open Resources

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In 2024, SGA and the TTU Libraries OER Office teamed together to create the annual TTU SGA Open Educator Awards. Through this award, faculty are recognized by their students for using open materials in their course. If a faculty member is using open materials in their course, nominate them for this award!

Click here to learn more about the SGA Open Educator Awards!