UNK Open Nebraska (ONE/OER)
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UNK Open Nebraska (ONE/OER)
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/ UNK Open Nebraska (ONE/OER)
Accessible, Affordable Course Materials
The cost of traditional textbooks has increased in the last decade, so much so that many students no longer can afford to buy required textbooks for their courses. The University of Nebraska at Kearney is committed to student affordability by supporting faculty in adopting
free
or
reduced-cost digital course materials
in their courses.
406
No-Cost Courses offered in 2025-2026 Academic Year
$2,258,400
Student Savings to Date
76
Low-Cost Courses offered in 2025-2026 Academic Year
Open Nebraska (ONE) also known as Open Educational Resources (OER) "are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge."
Why OER Matters
Cost Savings
Reduces financial barriers for students and makes learning materials accessible to all.
Variety
Access to diverse learning materials
Current Content
Can be updated easily to reflect current affairs and research
Pedagogical Freedom
Allows for innovative teaching methods
Students: Finding a ONE Course
Students can search for Open Nebraska courses when they register for classes. This means the course will include no-cost or low-cost materials. You can view OER courses by going to
MyBlue > UNK Class Search > scroll to bottom and select options in Open Nebraska
Students who are taking a full course load can save up to $500 per semester by choosing ONE courses. That's a potential savings of $4,000 over the course of the academic career.
Open MyBLUE
"I have access to the materials virtually anytime, anywhere, in any format. Whether that be on my phone, on my laptop, on a tablet, what have you. I can pull it up while I'm doing laundry. I can listen to it. I find that I go through the content in all the formats; I'm not just confined to sitting down and reading a chunk of textbook at one time.'
Kristen Wetovick
Learning Design and Technology M.S.Ed. student
Faculty: Creating ONE Courses
Course Attributes
The University of Nebraska course attributes increase transparency so that students and their families can determine which UNK courses are using these free and reduced-cost digital course materials at the time of registration. There are two Open Nebraska course attributes:
No Cost Materials Course
These digital course materials are incorporated into Canvas at no additional cost to the student. No book purchase required.
Low Cost Materials Course
These digital course materials are incorporated into Canvas and cost students less than $40.
Tagging your ONE Course
You can tag your course with any of the attributes by following the steps below.
Select the pencil icon next to Section Attributes.
To add an attribute (NB - Classes that are general studies, or experiential learning will have section attributes on the course)
Select the plus icon
Select the Open Nebraska option
Select Accept.
Add the note code that corresponds to the Open Nebraska attribute selected by clicking on the pencil icon next to Notes.
Select the plus icon and enter the note code in the Search box.
0960 – No Cost Materials
0961 – Low-Cost Materials
Select the Note Code and click Accept
View Visual Instructions
If you have questions, contact the person in your department responsible for scheduling.
Funding Opportunities
The UNK Open Nebraska Grant seeks to make education at UNK equitable and accessible by replacing expensive instructional materials with affordable content (library materials, free textbooks, online resources, etc.) and transforming the student educational experience with innovative and flexible learning opportunities.
Instructional Materials are defined as:
Textbooks, eBooks, websites, software programs, apps, courseware packages, access codes to homework sites
Instructional Materials do not include:
Tools and supplies cost, such as lab coat, goggles, notebook paper, art materials, thumb drives, or calculators
Auxiliary fees such as lab fee, technology fee, or eLearning fee
Inclusive Access or First Day programs
Now taking applications for Spring 2026 Semester.
Due date: November 28, 2025
Apply Now!
Full or part-time faculty who are interested in converting their courses from traditionally published materials to low or no cost materials are eligible to apply.
Awards will be based on the following:
Adopting - Replacing textbook with existing open resources in their original format - Eligible for $500
Adapting - Modifying existing open resources/content to fit specific course needs. Faculty can Revise (basic changes such as editing) and/or Remix (combining and integrating) while adapting existing OER - Eligible for $750
Authoring - Creating your open resources, such as an eBook or packet. Eligible for $1,500
Participants will receive the funds after the course has been taught and the requisite data is provided to the committee.
Implement the UNK Open Nebraska Course Template.
Consult with your assigned librarian and learning designers.
Access the UNK Open Nebraska Training course and complete the modules to learn about alternative open educational resources in your field.
Course Marking - Work with your course scheduler to designate the course as Open Nebraska in CLSS.
Meet with your librarian and learning designer to review the course according to the criteria in the ONE/OER course checklist.
Complete an exit survey and provide the appropriate course data at the end of the semester.
Upon completion of the requirements above, the grant will be released.
Congratulations to Our Spring 2025 Grant Recipients!
Emily Bartholomay: PSY 440 - Health Psychology
Theresa Yaw: ECON 322 - Money and Banking
Amy Nebesniak: MATH 330 - Mathematics for Elementary Teachers II
Rachel Silverman: REC 354 - Programming in Sport, Recreation, and Events
Ted Rupnow: MATH 430 - Middle School Mathematics
Annarose Steinke: ENG 102 - Academic Writing and Research
Jia Huang: MATH 280 - Linear Algebra
Heather Meyer: MKT 440 - Advertising Management
David Vail: HIST 307 - History of Health and Medical Law
Krista Forrest: PSY 203 - General Psychology
Faculty Support
Open Nebraska Canvas Training Course
Library Open Nebraska Guide
Open Nebraska Course Review Checklist
Archive Videos
UNK program saves students thousands in textbook costs
Interview – Dr. Diane Duffin, UNK Political Science
Interview – Dr. Martonia Gaskill, UNK Teacher Education
NU Open Nebraska Media Hub
If you have any questions about your ONE course, feel free to contact us.
Eric Tenkorang
, UNK Open Nebraska Committee Lead
Rochelle Reeves
, UNK OER Librarian
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