At the end of 2015, two senators of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) submitted a resolution supporting the adoption of OER. As something that sort of flew under the radar for some, I believe it is important to note this milestone and recognize the two undergraduate students who put the resolution forward.
Eugene Lao, Senator of the College of Arts and Sciences
Maggie Hinshaw, ASUH Treasurer
Senate Resolution 14-16: In Support of Incorporating Open Educational Resources into General Education Curricula passed the ASUH senate vote unanimously in December of 2015.
The resolution states that ASUH:
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Recognizes the rising cost of educational resources as a barrier to college affordability and student success.
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Recommends that the UHM further utilizes open educational resources and other zero-cost materials for general education courses.
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Understands that the extensive implementation of OER will help reduce the cost of education, expand the use of internet and digital technologies in education, and transform teaching and learning by fostering academic innovation through increased curriculum options.
As we build our bottom-up OER efforts, having complementary support from the student body will help us carry maintain momentum into the coming years.
Props to Eugene Lao, Senator of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Maggie Hinshaw, current ASUH Treasurer for introducing this important resolution.
You can read the full text of the resolution here.
