UNG Recognized For Efforts To Reduce Textbook Costs

With multiple successful digital textbook projects and as many as 10 more on the horizon, the University of North Georgia (UNG) has been recognized as one of the state's leaders in providing open educational resources for students.

UNG has won an award for Innovation and Early Success in Textbook Transformation from Affordable Learning Georgia, a University System of Georgia (USG) initiative aimed at making college more affordable by encouraging open-source, electronic textbooks. The award honors faculty for their transformations of the textbook to no-cost, open educational resources. Recognized from UNG is Al Walters, associate professor of physics, who saved students an estimated $8,400 by adopting a college physics text by OpenStax College, a nonprofit organization through Rice University that produces free textbooks.

UNG also has produced digital textbooks – a U.S. history text released last year and a world literature book still in production – in projects spearheaded by the University Press of North Georgia (UPNG), led by Dr. B.J. Robinson, a professor of English at UNG. Robinson said UPNG has been asked to develop 10 more open access textbooks for eCore, a USG initiative that provides students the opportunity to complete their core curriculum online...