Qunxing Ding, Ph.D., associate professor of biology on the East Liverpool and Salem campuses, was celebrated as the first recipient of University Libraries' Open Educational Resources (OER) Faculty Champion Award during the Spring Faculty Club on April 15.
This recognition is University Libraries’ inaugural award designed to recognize and reward ɫҹ faculty who have successfully implemented OER in their courses and, in turn, are enhancing student learning and engagement while removing financial barriers to accessing class content.
As defined by SPARC, a nonprofit advocacy organization that supports open systems for research and education, OER are “teaching, learning and research resources that are free of cost and access barriers, and which also carry licenses for open use.”
In 2023, Ding was one of three ɫҹ faculty members who received the University Libraries’ first set of Affordable Learning Materials (ALM) and Open Educational Resources (OER) Incentive Grants. Funded by the Provost’s Office, the grants were established as an incentive for faculty to adopt/adapt or write their own OER. Three faculty were each awarded $1,000 grants in which they replaced assigned commercial textbook(s) with one or more OER for the Fall 2023 semester Additionally, each awardee was paired with an assigned subject librarian to assist with research and other informational needs.
Cutline: Qunxing Ding (center) was presented with the OER Faculty Champion Award by the selection committee (from left) Paul Campbell, Anita Slack and Cindy Kristo and University Libraries Dean Ken Burhanna (far right).