Students save millions in texbooks
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Some associate degrees and certificates offered at El Camino College are at no expense to students thanks to the Legislature's Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Degree Program which removed additional material cost fees.
In the Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, Sept. 15, Crystle Martin, dean of library and learning resources, gave the board an update on the current ZTC course options at ECC.
Seventeen possible ZTC AA degree pathways are available to enroll, including anthropology, art history, early childhood education, history, philosophy and the list is growing.
Gov. Gavin Newson signed off on $115 million to be allocated to the expansion of ZTC to address affordable higher education.
Of the 545 ZTC courses provided on campus, 35% of them are newly offered as zero cost, according to Board Docs.
ZTC courses not only makes textbooks accessible and free, but they provide students with Open Educational Resources (OER) which include modules, faculty-created content, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.
"Faculty in general are becoming more aware of the equality of Open Educational Resources," Martin said during the BOT meeting.
It benefits students in all majors, but especially those in STEM majors, Instructional Services librarian Mary McMillan said.
Full-time math faculty since 2017, Gordon Song, said he recommends the really expensive textbooks for his class.
However, he encourages students to get the physical copy of the book, which in new condition could run upwards of $200, but hopes students can find used or borrowed alternatives.
For the most part, Song takes inspiration from the problems in the book and uses them to create his own assignments for his students, which he uploads to Canvas.
"It takes a lot of work," Song said.
Some newer staff, including ethics professor Ricardo Munguia, found that a lot of the course knowledge needed in his class can be accessed through the modules he creates in Canvas.
Other professors on campus utilize LibreText, a digital platform that gives access to course materials, textbooks and labs.
The California Chancellor's Office has executed a systemwide five-year contract with LibreText all in efforts to make acquiring a degree more accessible.
"All community colleges are providing more ZTC offerings. We are working together as a system to do it," McMillan said.
What you missed in the Sept. 15 BOT meeting:
- Associated Student Organization budget breakdown
- Fraudulent enrollment continues; 9.4% of enrollment in a current 51-day period is recognized as fraud
- MANA student support program celebrates 10 years