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10 Ways to Celebrate Open Education Week

Posted February 27, 2025 in JMU Libraries News, Open Education News


It’s almost Open Education Week (March 3-7), and we’re celebrating because free and equitable access to information is at the core of what we do. This celebration also reminds us to share how you can help make education more affordable and accessible for your students.

You might have seen the results of the 2024 student survey that show how many JMU students experience textbook costs as a barrier to their education. Open education initiatives can address these problems and keep students thriving at JMU! 

Here are 10 ways you can celebrate Open Education Week!

  1. Find out what your JMU faculty peers are doing to lower textbook costs and promote open education at JMU. Attend the faculty panel on open educational resources at the 2025 JMU Diversity Conference on March 26, 2025 or read stories from faculty who are using, creating, and customizing open course materials for their classes.
  2. Apply for a $2,000 stipend to start using open course materials through our Summer Stipend program. Keep an eye on our Grants & Stipends page for future opportunities.
  3. Adopt an open textbook. The deadline to notify the Bookstore about your Summer textbook adoptions is March 15. The Fall deadline is April 15. Contact Liz Thompson for help finding open and affordable course content.
  4. Take our open textbook survey: If you already use open textbooks or open course materials in your classes, let us know! Please complete this faculty survey by April 18.
  5. Mark your course as no/low-cost in MyMadison: If the total cost of required materials for your course is $40 or less at the JMU Bookstore, please alert the relevant staff in your department ASAP so they can add this info to Course Scheduler. The final window to make course updates for Fall enrollment is March 27-31.
  6. Join our workshop on creating open materials: If you’re ready to learn how to create your own open course materials, take our synchronous workshop on March 5, 2025 or join our self-paced workshop at any time.
  7. Celebrate outstanding OER: Nominate an Open Educational Resource for the Virginia Open Ed Impact Award. The creators of the OER that receive the award will receive a $2,000 honorarium from VIVA, Virginia’s academic library consortium.
  8. Explore open pedagogy by hearing from faculty who participated in the 2024 Open Pedagogy Fellowship at JMU Libraries, through which JMU faculty are co-creating open educational resources with their students as an engaged learning practice. Applications for the 2025 Fellowship will be accepted March 11 through April 11. Look for an announcement soon!
  9. Learn more about the cross-campus team that formed last year to expand JMU’s Open and Affordable Textbook Initiatives. Read their list of recommendations to catch their vision for a more affordable and equitable educational experience at JMU.
  10. Get to know our champion for open, affordable textbooks. Thanks in large part to our Open Education Librarian, Liz Thompson, over 7,080 JMU students saved more than $832,000 in book costs in the 2023-2024 academic year, and the program is growing! Read Liz’s interview with JMU News to learn more. 

We’d love to hear from you!

Contact our Open Education Librarian, Liz Thompson, to share your ideas and questions about open education and textbook affordability at JMU.