Chemeketa Press and Open Oregon Educational Resources partner to promote textbook affordability at Chemeketa Community College

Salem, Ore., October 14, 2021 — Chemeketa Press, the academic publishing arm of Chemeketa Community College, is partnering with Open Oregon Educational Resources during the 2021-2023 biennium to assist faculty in producing openly licensed, targeted pathway materials with an equity lens for three disciplines: Criminal Justice, Human Development/Family Studies, and Sociology. These materials will be available to students for free online, or print at a low cost. Chemeketa Press's contract with Open Oregon is for $266,945.

Open Oregon Educational Resources is a Higher Education Coordinating Commission-funded statewide organization promoting textbook affordability for community college and university students. This project is made possible by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education from the United States Department of Education and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.

Beginning summer 2022, Chemeketa Press will lead faculty authors through the Textbook Development Workshop, a rigorous six-month course designed to equip faculty with the necessary tools to efficiently and professionally develop course materials. This workshop will be held annually. 

"Working with Open Oregon Educational Resources allows Chemeketa Press to connect with faculty around the state and share best practices for making textbooks and course materials with an equity focus,” said Abbey Gaterud, Director of Chemeketa Press. “Sharing this knowledge helps faculty authors write more efficiently and cohesively, which makes better course materials for diverse student populations. The high-quality content will make adopting these textbooks easier and more widespread, saving students money and helping them engage with these subjects. We want the hard work of the faculty in the textbook development workshop to reach and engage as many students as possible in Oregon and become a model for OER development nationwide."

For more information, please contact Abbey Gaterud at abbey.gaterud@chemeketa.edu or call 503-399-6156.

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For more than 50 years, Chemeketa Community College has committed itself to transforming lives and our community through exceptional learning experiences in the Mid-Willamette Valley. As the second multi-campus district in Oregon, Chemeketa serves 30,000 students annually at its Salem and Yamhill Valley campuses, as well as Brooks, Eola, Winema, Dallas, Woodburn and Chemeketa Center for Business and Industry (CCBI).

Chemeketa Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educational institution.