Briefing Document: UWEC OpenCourseWare Project Authors: Tim Lauer – Student Body President
Andrew Cooan – Information Technology Commission Director
Vision Statement:
OpenCourseWare will promote and foster connected learning between students, faculty, community
members, and global learners while providing a new vehicle for participating faculty to exhibit their
unique academic excellence.
Overview:
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Expectation:
ƒ UWEC will implement the UWEC OpenCourseWare Project and publish 10
courses by Fall Semester 2009.
Issue summary:
ƒ Aligns with the educational and public service missions of a non-profit institution
of higher learning
ƒ OpenCourseWare is a voluntary program that faculty may participate in.
ƒ Project charter and project plan will determine next steps for members involved
to get UWEC OpenCourseware Project implemented and maintained.
Background
ƒ Student Senate Resolution 51-R-28, passed unanimously on 2/25/08, called for
the formation of an ad hoc committee on open courseware to investigate the
possibility at UW-Eau Claire.
ƒ An OpenCourseWare site is a free and open digital publication of high quality
educational materials, organized as course, available for use and adaptation under
an open license, and does not typically provide certification or access to
instructors.
ƒ OpenCourseWare promotes community learning and global educational
awareness of UW-Eau Claire while stimulating innovation and advancing our
institutional mission.
Impacts
ƒ Benefits
1. Allows students to briefly experience other university disciplines outside of
respective major or minor studies.
2. Aligns with UW-System growth agenda, which puts emphasis on recruiting
students to our universities.
3. Provides participating faculty with opportunity to increase visibility within
their field by displaying areas of academic excellence.
ƒ Workload to be split among three sources
1. The Chair of the OpenCourseWare Project Committee will either be a current
LTS staff member with duties to head the project committee, or a LTE staff
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member. Duties will include working with UWEC faculty to transfer D2L
content to Educommons site as well as maintenance, once implemented.
2. An OpenCourseWare Project Committee, which will consist of current LTS
student workers that will assist with the project duties of the Chair. This
committee will report to the Chair and will be responsible to fulfill the
mission of the project.
3. Student Senate Information Technology Commission
ƒ Financial needs will be based off time needed for labor of technology support
services. Services will of Project Committee and the Chair of the Project
Committee will be compensated either on an hourly or stipend basis for an
academic year. An estimate of needed funding will be in the Project Plan.
ƒ Funding will be provided by the Student Technology Fee Budget, which in
accordance with UW-System policy, is equal to 2% of the previous year’s tuition
costs and is required to be spent on technology that is generally accessible to all
students.
ƒ Alignment with UWEC Strategic Plan
1. Strategic plan learning goal number two, which promotes connected learning
that transcends disciplines and connects the University and community; as
well as recruit and retain diverse students, faculty, and staff.
2. One of the four values of the strategic plan, which favors campus innovation
and continuous improvement.
Alternatives
ƒ Do nothing – no need for labor and technology support services, but offers
no benefits to campus community for connected learning opportunities.
ƒ Implement 20 courses – offers a larger amount of course opportunities to
students, faculty, life learners and global community, but requires more
funding source, labor time, and technology support services. Schedule and Timing
ƒ Develop Briefing Document
ƒ Circulate briefing document for questions and comments
ƒ Develop Project Charter
ƒ Develop Project Plan – Next Steps of Action
ƒ Implement OpenCourseWare Fall 2009
Attachments
ƒ SS Resolution 51-R-28
ƒ OpenCourseWare Consortium http://www.ocwconsortium.org/home.html
ƒ Center for Open and Sustainable Learning
http://cosl.usu.edu/projects/educommons/
ƒ Open Educational Resources Handbook
http://www.wikieducator.org/OER_Handbook/educator_version_one
ƒ Open Educational Resources Institutional
http://www.wikieducator.org/OER_Handbook/institution
ƒ Center for Open and Sustainable Learning hub
http://www.wikieducator.org/COSL
ƒ UW- Eau Claire Chancellor’s Strategic Plan
http://www.uwec.edu/chancellor/stratplan/