Open Educational Resources
2026 Minnesota State Open Education Conference
March 25-26 | Virtual | Free
Join colleagues from across Minnesota State for a free, virtual conference focused on OER and innovative practices in open education within the system.
Minnesota State promotes textbook and course resource affordability for students by supporting and facilitating the adoption of open, low-cost, high-quality materials, called open educational resources (OER).
Open educational resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that make use of appropriate tools, such as open licensing to permit their free reuse, continuous improvement, and re-purposing by others for educational purposes (UNESCO).
What has been accomplished so far?
With support from the Minnesota legislature, Minnesota State has:
- launched statewide open textbook review programs
- funded professional development for teaching and library faculty
- funded local campus projects to achieve immediate savings for students
- developed Z-degrees at 16 colleges and universities
- saved students over $3,000,000 in course resource costs each year
OER and Equity
Lowering the cost of course resources enhances access and success for Minnesota State students, a main focus of our Equity 2030 goal.
Z-Degrees
A Z-degree is a associate degree or bachelor's degree program that exclusively use course resources that are no cost to students.
Get Involved
Students, faculty, staff, and administrators can all advocate for OER on their campus. Find OER resources, guides, events, and other ways to get involved.
Contact
Michael OlesenInterim System Director Student Success Technologies
Michael.Olesen@MinnState.edu
Karen Pikula, PhD
OER Learning Circle Coordinator
Karen.Pikula@MinnState.edu
Faculty and Staff
Minnesota State faculty and staff can learn more in the OER Community Site using your StarID@MinnState.edu and password.