The Daily Bulletin Archive

Buffalo State’s Affordable Learning Materials Initiative (ALMI) and the Provost’s Office are pleased to announce a new campuswide ALMI Award program. This program will recognize the important work of faculty members who are taking steps toward improving affordability for their students.

Three award tiers are available: Award for Exceptional Innovation in Affordability (Individual); Award for Exceptional OER Creation (Individual); and Award for Exceptional Advancement in Affordability (Departmental). Individual award recipients will receive an award certificate, $300 in professional development funds, and acknowledgment on ALMI’s Exceptional Educators website. Departmental award recipients will receive an award certificate, a catered lunch for all departmental faculty, and acknowledgment on ALMI’s Exceptional Educators website.

Applications will be judged on three main criteria: cost savings, overall impact of initiative, and innovation of initiative. Applicants need not focus on open educational resources—any innovation or initiative that leads to increased affordability of course materials is eligible.

To apply, complete the individual application or department application by Friday, March 17. Applications and more information about ALMI and OER can be found on the ALMI website. Winners will be announced in April.

To assist faculty members with finding, using, and developing OER, Butler Library and Instructional Design and Training created an “Understanding OER” workshop series. This series will include “An Introduction to OER and Creative Commons”; “Locating, Evaluating, and Incorporating OER”; and “Creating and Sharing OER.” Attend all workshops to earn an “ALMI OER Champion” certificate. For more information or to register, see the Open Educational Resources workshops in the Workshop Registration System.

For more information, or for assistance updating your course to improve affordability, contact Leah Galka, outreach and engagement librarian, or Brooke Winckelmann, instructional designer.