Textbook Affordability Sessions with Dan Allosso
Friday, September 29, 2023 Memorial Library or Zoom
Session 1: Reducing Textbook Cost for Students
What is textbook affordability? What can I do to reduce textbook costs for my students?
Do I really have to write my own textbook?
Please join us in the Southwest Corner of Memorial Library or on Zoom at 10:30 AM on Friday, September 29, 2023, for a presentation and discussion on what you can do to reduce textbooks costs for your students. This event is sponsored by Library Services and IT Solutions. Coffee and a light breakfast will be served beginning at 10:00 AM. Please register in advance at https://link.mnsu.edu/session-1
Dr. Dan Allosso will discuss why reducing student textbook costs is more important than ever based on published studies and student testimonials. He will offer a very brief overview of the history of the open textbook movement to demonstrate its international scope and the development of a wide range of high-quality content over the past decade-plus. Additionally, he will discuss a wide range of options faculty can use to reduce expenses for our students. “You don’t have to write your own textbook to reduce textbook costs,” says Dr. Allosso.
Session 2: The Z-Degree Program
What is a Z-Degree? A Z-Degree, also known as a Zero-Textbook Cost Degree, is a complete associate or bachelor's degree program that exclusively uses no cost course resources, such as open educational resources (OER), digital course-packs, or library-curated materials.
Please join us in the Southwest Corner of Memorial Library or on Zoom at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 29, 2023, for a presentation and discussion on Z-Degrees. This event is sponsored by Library Services and IT Solutions. Coffee and a light lunch will be served beginning at 11:30 AM. Please register in advance at https://link.mnsu.edu/session-2
Dr. Dan Allosso will present on the origins of the Z-Degree program from legislation through implementation at community colleges to opportunities for universities. From library initiatives, OER Learning Circles, student government activism, to collaboration with bookstores, the variety of ways and levels in which one can become involved are numerous. Considering Equity 2023 and the North Star Promise Scholarship, it is important for all campuses to discuss ways to reduce costs for students.
Speaker Biography
Dr. Dan Allosso received a Master’s in Latin American History from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2007 and a PhD in History from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2017. Since 2017, Dan has been an Assistant Professor of History at Bemidji State University, where he has converted all but one of his classes to zero-textbook-cost. Dan has participated in several Minnesota State OER Learning Circles in which he has authored four open textbooks. In Spring 2023, Dan received a grant to explore implementing a Z-Degree in a university setting.
