{"id":2045,"date":"2025-11-25T19:10:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T19:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/?p=2045"},"modified":"2025-11-25T19:11:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T19:11:35","slug":"the-future-is-open-ufvs-path-to-accessible-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ufv.ca\/tlc\/2025\/11\/25\/the-future-is-open-ufvs-path-to-accessible-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future is Open: UFV’s Path to Accessible Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open Education at UFV update<\/h1>\n

Submitted by Claire Hay<\/em><\/p>\n

Open Education Strategy<\/h2>\n

\"cartoon<\/a>Work on developing an open education strategy to meet UFV\u2019s needs is ongoing as part of a BCcampus funded project, the \u201cOpen Education In-Action Initiative.\u201d On the advice of Dean\u2019s Council, we are developing a UFV Commitment Statement on Open Education that will be accompanied by guiding principles. It is not a policy, instead it is an acknowledgement that, where possible, open education use supports students by reducing additional financial barriers.<\/p>\n

Claire Hay<\/a>, Janelle Sztuhar<\/a>, and Shaun Sun<\/a> have engaged with faculty councils throughout October to gather feedback on how an OE strategy can support teaching and research\/scholarship at UFV. We have engaged with other stakeholders including Teaching and Learning Advisory Council, Research Advisory Council, Library Advisory Council, and others.<\/p>\n

\"Library<\/a>We are still gathering your input. If you have something to contribute, please visit our Padlet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In developing a UFV Open Education Strategy, student voice is important. Aashima Marwaha, Open Education Strategy Student Assistant, has been working alongside UFV Student Union Society to raise awareness of open education and ZTC, and gather student input on the open education strategy. Over 100 students visited open education tabling events in the run-up to the start of Winter 2026 registration.<\/p>\n

Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) program<\/h2>\n

\"Cartoon<\/a>UFV\u2019s Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) program is entering its second full semester (after a pilot in summer 2025). ZTC was launched in the Fall 2025 semester with 14% ZTC course sections. Through awareness efforts directed towards faculty and students, this number has grown to 27% for Winter 2026\u00a0 (380 course sections of 1417 sections) have been marked as ZTC. Thanks to the work of the Office of the Registrar, ZTC courses can be easily identified on the Browse Classes interactive timetable without an attribute search being required. This makes finding\u00a0 ZTC courses easy for students. UFV Bookstore is also tagging ZTC sections in the online Textbook Finder making it easy for students to find courses that do not require them to purchase resources.<\/p>\n

It is important to remember that ZTC courses use a variety of open educational resources to support student learning. These resources may be open textbooks, open software, collated library resources available via Brightspace, and other free materials. ZTC courses may still require students to purchase lab coats, calculators, art supplies etc.<\/p>\n

Open Education Micro Grants (OEMGP) program<\/h2>\n

Through funding from the Office of the Provost and Vice President, Academic we are excited to announce the recipients of the 3rd<\/sup> round of Open Education Micro Grant projects. Each of these small-scale projects provides support for OEMGP Student Assistants to work on each project alongside the faculty project lead, allowing them to apply existing and develop new skills.<\/p>\n