Annual Reports
Committee Charge
The Affordable Educational Resources Committee (AERC) is a subcommittee of the Academic Senate and is responsible for promoting and encouraging the adoption of affordable educational resources throughout the college.
The AERC meets as required to promote and facilitate reducing learning material costs to increase equity and improve student success. Meetings take place one time per month during the fall and spring semesters.
The committee shall:
- Identify strategies to reduce textbook, course material, and educational resource costs for students
- Make recommendations that address textbook and course material affordability and accessibility, while respecting academic freedom
- Educate students, faculty, and staff about strategies to reduce textbook and course material costs, including the benefits to student equity and success
- Work with college and district groups in initiatives dealing with affordable textbooks and course materials
- Develop objectives and timelines to accomplish actionable goals
The faculty chair or a designee shall:
- Coordinate AERC meetings; e.g., agenda preparation, proofreading of announcements, and meeting facilitation
- Prepare memos or policy statements on any key Affordable and Open Educational Resource issues requiring lead faculty opinion, e.g. affordable educational resource icon in class schedule
- Serve as the Open Educational Resource Initiative liaison to the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. This initiative runs through spring 2024 with the possibility of an extension
- Serve as liaison to the Academic Senate, including presenting a fall semester planning report and an end-of-year summary of achieved goals
- Serve as the liaison to the district-wide Textbook Affordability Task Force
The committee chair is appointed by the Academic Senate President in consultation with the College President. OER creation and adoption is driven by discipline expertise. It is desirable to have at least one faculty member from each Career and Academic Community (CAC) in addition to a librarian. One administrator appointed by the VPI will serve as a liaison between the subcommittee and the Student Learning and Instructional Support (SLIS) branch. Classified professional and student membership is encouraged, but not required.
All members have voting rights. A quorum consisting of 50% overall membership is necessary for voting on and/or approving decision items.
- Passed 2022-04-22: Zero means Zero
- Passed 2023-05-12: Establishing an Effective and Sustainable Zero Textbook Cost Program
- Passed 2024-03-22: Sustainability and Institutionalization of Zero Textbook Cost Pathway Efforts Through Faculty Coordination
- Passed 2025-03-14: Encouraging Funding for Printing Lab Manuals to Achieve Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Status
- Passed 2024-03-14: Discouraging Automatic Billing Practices in Course Material Access
Members
- Andi Adkins Pogue, Chair
- Dave Andrews (AFNR)
- Vacant (AME)
- Vacant (ACDT)
- Haengku Yoon (BCS)
- Heather Hutcheson (ELS)
- Fairuze Ahmed-Ramirez (ELS)
- Vacant (HHS)
- Vacant (SBS)
- Roy Simpson (SME-Math)
- Stephen McDowell (SME-Chemistry)
- Michael Lawlor (Associate VPI)
Meeting Information
Meetings are held the second Monday of each month during the fall and spring semesters from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Participants can join in-person in room L317B or via Zoom. Connection information can be found in the agenda posted in BoardDocs. Note that when meeting dates conflict with finals week or spring break, meetings will typically happen on the first Monday.