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Affordable Learning Solutions at Sacramento State

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Affordable Learning Solutions

Welcome to the Affordable Learning Community at Sacramento State, a collaborative effort among the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD), the Sacramento State University Library, and the Hornet Bookstore.
We are here to help improve course affordability for students, support faculty in accessing and using open educational resources, and familiarize the campus community with the California State University’s (CSU) Affordable Learning Initiative. We strive to provide information and resources to create a learning environment that benefits our campus community as a whole.

"More affordable textbook options mean that I don't have to pick between passing a class or paying rent and eating." - Vanessa Kmetz

What is the Affordable Learning Initiative?

Textbook affordability isn’t just a faculty choice issue, it’s also an equity issue. Students are often forced choose between purchasing textbooks and paying rent.

To make course materials accessible to all students, regardless of income level, the California Legislature passed a series of bills that empower professors to adopt high quality, free and open educational resources for course materials, and make these courses visible to students when registering for courses.

The Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) Initiative is the CSU’s response to this legislation, providing funding, resources, and training for each campus.

What is the impact on students and faculty?

In addition to saving students more than $50 million across the CSU system annually, AL$ and OERs give faculty more flexibility and choice in course materials, making those materials more responsive to advances in research and current events.

AL$ Impact on Students across the CSU: Millions of Dollars Saved

Image of Impact of affordable learning solutions on students

“I sometimes have to decide whether to eat or buy a textbook. It’s hard when professors don’t offer alternative routes that are accessible.”

José Arias-Ruiz

Training & Development Opportunities

AL$/OER Faculty Learning Community (Spring 2024 through Fall 2024)

The Affordable Learning Solutions & Open Educational Resources faculty learning community will support faculty members who are committed to reducing the cost of instructional materials to students with the goal of improving access, learning, and student success.  Faculty will learn about various options for adopting and remixing open educational materials. $1,000 stipend upon completion of the culminating event.

Apply for the AL$ Faculty Learning Community

Faculty Resources

icons used in Class Schedule for low- and no-cost materials

Contact For Support

Affordable Learning Solutions/Open Educational Resource Coordinator: Andrea Terry

  • Integrating OER materials into your courses through Canvas
  • Consultation on course design/redesign with online textbooks and multi-media

Contact Center for Teaching and Learning at (916) 278-5945 or e-mail CTL@csus.edu