Charles Schweik, associate professor of environmental conservation and public policy, was one of eight University of Massachusetts professors who received grants this year as part of the university’s Open Education Initiative.
The UMass Amherst Provost’s Office and the University Libraries launched the initiative last spring in an effort to help reduce textbook costs for students. Each professor was awarded $1,000 for each course into which they planned to incorporate open-access digital resources. Altogether, the university awarded $10,000 in grants.
Schweik received two grants for his courses “Natural Resource Policy and Administration” and “Introduction to Geographic Information Systems.” For one course, he published his own scholarly work online, which allows students to use the Web-based version of the course pack for free, or purchase a printed copy for only $13.
The university estimates that during the 2011-2012 academic year, the $10,000 investment will save 700 students upwards of $72,000.
Read more about the initiative in the Springfield Republican and in the Chronicle of Higher Education.