Faculty use of open and affordable course materials over time: Rethinking value and impact

This study examines long-term faculty engagement with open educational resources (OER) and affordable course materials following their participation in a library-funded course redesign initiative (2016–2024). A survey was administered to 138 awardees, with a 55 % response rate. The research assessed whether faculty continued to use, revise, or abandon the open and affordable materials they initially adopted and explored broader impacts on teaching practices. Most respondents continued using open and affordable materials or updated them with other low-cost options. Notably, 21 faculty redesigned additional courses without further funding. Results suggest that open and affordable course materials became increasingly integrated into faculty teaching practices over time. The study also considers the concept of cumulative student savings as a metric for program success, raising questions about how to define and track long-term impact. Findings highlight the importance of sustained library support to encourage continued use, innovation, and scalability of affordability initiatives in higher education.