The UMFK OER Committee would like to thank the UMFK Foundation for its role in jump-starting the OER initiative that was created in 2019. From there we were able to use funds from elsewhere to continue the program.
The committee will continue its efforts to make Open Educational Resources a priority at UMFK.
As a way to recognize those instructors who have begun the move or who have already moved to OER, we present a brief look into what they are doing below. Some will have received grants some not but all worked toward making education a more equitable experience for our students.
Associate Professor Shawn Graham received one of two $1,000 Open Educational Resources (OER) grants for his work on adapting his course, PSY221 Psychosocial Rehabilitation, to OER content. He implemented the changes in spring 2025 (FY2025).
Professor Graham removed an impediment to students and provided them equitable access to education.
Assistant Professor Lisa Lavoie received one of two $1,000 Open Educational Resources (OER) grants for her OER adaptation of PSY362 Abnormal Psychology. Professor Lavoie taught the course in spring 2025 (FY2025) and saved students roughly $300 each.
Professor Lavoie helped students spend less time worrying about the costs of course material, and more time on actually learning, thereby making their education more accessible.
Professor Becker received a $500 Open Educational Resources (OER) grant to adopt open-access material for his course, ENG255 World Literature I. He used the OER text World Literature I: Beginnings to 1650 in the fall of FY2025.
To address easy access to the large text files' size and content, Professor Becker linked to individual assigned readings within the discussion boards of the Brightspace course. The complete text was also available in the course for students to use.
Professor Becker received a $1,000 grant to adapt your ENG100 College Composition I course.
Resources were accessed online or shared following these OWL Purdue guidelines: Terms and Conditions of Fair Use
Professor Becker received a $1,000 OER grant for his work to adapt his ENG101 English Composition II course to OER content.
Professor Joseph Becker wrote about his use of OER in his course. He said that "Providing readings at no cost helps increase student engagement from the start of the course (no textbooks to purchase, await to arrive, or delay purchasing due to lack of funds, etc.)."
Dr. Elmore is a wildlife and public health ecologist with research experience in the Canadian Arctic. She holds a PhD in Veterinary Microbiology from the University of Saskatchewan and degrees in Ecology (MS, Colorado State University) and Wildlife Biology (BS, Colorado State University). She applied and received a grant of $500 to adopt Negotiating Climate Change in Crisis for her ENV 341 course: Modern Humanity and the Environment course.
Loni Nadeau, Assistant Director of Academic Support & Instructional DesignMs. Nadeau applied and received a grant for $1,000 to adapt College Success for her Hum102 course also called First Year Experience. In addition, she adapted and/or created ancillary materials to help provide a more robust learning experience for her students.
Dr. Holloway Cripps's "...research interests focus on developing an interdisciplinary research and learning framework for undergraduates which focuses on understanding the Arctic through a western and indigenous fused pedagogy through the lens of the U.N. sustainable development goals and supports the University of Maine Arctic Initiative."
The grants Dr. Holloway Cripps received will further her goals in the new Arctic Studies program at UMFK, which also connects with the University of Maine Arctic Initiative.
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In the 2021 spring semester, Professor Trudel eliminated costly textbooks by adopting Professor Trudel said he found the work on the Advanced Exel time-consuming, yet rewarding. Professor Trudel was the first recipient of one of the two $500 stipends awarded by the UMFK Foundation mentioned above. |
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In 2021 the UMFK Foundation awarded a team of UMFK staff and one faculty a $500 grant to convert the COS 103 course to all Open Educational Resources. The team at the time was Dr. Dawn Susee, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Loni Nadeau, Assistant Director of Academic Support & Instructional Design; Nikolas Lallemand, Director of Student Support Services; and Jacob (Jake) Theriault, Joint Associate Registrar and Degree Completion Specialist.
The COS 103 Team modified a 4 credit course to a 3 credit course that included the following:
The COS 103 team was able to create a financially stress-free environment for their students.
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Dr. Thompson eliminated the textbook from FOR 100 (Introduction to Forestry) in 2018 in favor of open-source readings and began developing his own video-format OER for GIS 300 (GIS Applications I) and FOR 242 (Map and LiDAR Interpretation) in 2019. This grew into fully online delivery of these two courses in Spring 2021 and will likely develop into an online option for both courses in future years. He has also created videos on the identification of spruce budworm and other insects, diseases, and invasive species used in FOR 330 (Forest Protection II). Hosting the GIS, LiDAR, and entomology/pathology material publicly on the UMFK Forestry YouTube channel has allowed their use by working professionals and members of the public in Maine, across the border in Canada, and around the world. They have been used and shared within government agencies, private research collaboratives, and among foresters. The permanent posting also allows graduates to revisit material they may need in their careers and view updated material on courses that have developed since their time here. Utilization of OER is not enough--somebody has to create it. Widespread use and appreciation of material available from UMFK courses builds confidence in the content delivered here and contributes to the outreach mission of the University. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCztJHsMrIm8sf0QyA7uTb6Q |
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"In the fall, 2021 semester, Professor Rubert-Nason will be adopting an OER textbook (Chemistry: Atoms First 2e) for his general chemistry course. Transitioning to the OER lowers the financial burden borne by students taking this course, which already includes a substantial laboratory fee.
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