UNC Affordable & OER Committee

Section 1. Name of Committee

1.1 University of Northern Colorado Affordable and Open Educational Resources Committee.
1.2 UNC Affordable & OER Committee.

Section 2. Purpose of Committee

2.1 Advance awareness of open and affordable educational materials within the UNC community.
2.2 Increase UNC faculty and instructor adoption of open and affordable educational materials and adaptation and creation of OER.
2.3 Provide professional development and educational opportunities regarding open and affordable educational materials to the UNC community.
2.4 Provide funding opportunities for UNC faculty and instructors to convert courses from commercial materials to open and affordable materials.
2.5 Work with UNC creators to disseminate and promote OER content.
2.6 Collect and compile data related to the use of open and affordable educational resources within the UNC community.
2.7 Recommend policies regarding open and affordable educational materials to the UNC campus.

Section 1. Eligibility for Membership

All members of the UNC community – including faculty, staff, and students – are eligible to become members of the UNC Affordable & OER Committee.

Section 2. Voting Rights

All members of the committee have voting rights and responsibilities.

Section 3. Representation

The UNC Affordable & OER Committee will strive to have representation (as voting members) from the following university bodies:

3.1 Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
3.2 Each of the academic colleges
3.3 Division of Student Academic Success
3.4 Information Management and Technology
3.5 Instructional Design and Development
3.6 Office of the Registrar
3.7 Student
3.8 University Bookstore
3.9 University Libraries

Section 4. Membership Term

4.1 Standing members of the committee: The following members will have permanent membership on the committee.

4.1.1 University Libraries, Head of Scholarly Communication Department
4.2.1 University Libraries, Textbook Affordability Librarian
4.3.1 UNC Colorado Department of Higher Education OER Council member (if applicable)

Section 5. Term Limits

There are no membership term limits. Members commit to a minimum of a three-year term.

Section 6. Call for Membership Participation

When the committee is lacking representation from listed body, a request will be made by the committee chair to the leader of the appropriate campus entity to call for volunteers.

Section 1. Eligibility

Any member having served a minimum of one academic year on the UNC Affordable & OER Committee is eligible to serve as chair of the committee.

Section 2. Selection

At the penultimate committee meeting of the academic year, members interested in serving as chair of the committee will be asked to self-nominate. At the final committee meeting of the academic year, a committee chair will be selected through majority vote. If the person selected as chair wishes to have a co-chair, they may ask for self-nominations for co-chair.

Section 3. Chair Duties

3.1 Schedule meetings of the committee and organize the agenda.
3.2 Post committee meeting minutes to the website.
3.3 When the committee is lacking representation from listed body, the chair shall request a call for volunteers be communicated by leader of the appropriate body.
3.4 Write an annual report of committee activities.
3.5 Coordinate work with the subcommittees.
3.6 Work with the University Libraries to keep the committee website updated.
3.7 Determine the composition of the subcommittees.

Section 1. Meeting Schedule

The committee shall meet at least four times per academic year. The committee chair will set the meeting schedule and send invitations. There may be summer work involved in this committee work.

Section 2. Voting

Voting shall be by voice vote. No motion or question shall be decided except upon the affirmative vote of the majority of the voting members present.

Section 3. Quorum

A quorum is constituted by a majority of the current committee membership.

Section 1. Subcommittees Names and Purposes.

1.1 Assessment Subcommittee – This subcommittee shall, with input from the committee, determine assessment projects concerning the work of the committee and/or use of open and affordable educational materials at UNC. The subcommittee will promote any relevant assessment findings to campus and beyond.
1.2 Grant Subcommittee – This subcommittee shall author, oversee, and promote to campus (if funded) grants from the Colorado Department of Higher Education Open Educational Resources Council (CDHE OER Council). Additional grants may be undertaken by this subcommittee or other members of the committee. A member of the larger committee does not need to be a member of the grant subcommittee to pursue funding opportunities that may benefit the committee and UNC in the areas of affordable and open educational resources.
1.3 Course Marking Subcommittee – This subcommittee shall work with Academic Affairs leadership and the bookstore in determining how to comprehensively and consistently identify courses that have no-cost or low-cost course materials for students and other stakeholders. The subcommittee will promote course marking related information to instructors and students.
1.4 Events and Professional Development  Subcommittee – This committee shall plan and promote events funded by the CDHE OER Council and otherwise recommended by the committee. The subcommittee will make recommendations to the University Libraries and the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning concerning needed professional development opportunities for the campus community.

Section 2. Meetings of Subcommittees

Each subcommittee shall schedule meetings for themselves between the meetings of the committee or as necessary.

Section 3. Subcommittee Chairs

Each subcommittee shall select a chair from among their members for the academic year.

Section 4. Reports

At the end of each academic year, subcommittees will prepare a short report of their activities and provide it to the chair of the committee.

Amendments to these bylaws may be made at any regular meeting by the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of the voting members present, provided that notice of the proposed action shall have been given at the preceding regular meeting.