Open Educational Resources/ Textbooks

In partnership with the Registrar, the Library, and the VP Academic, Dr. Jan Stewart, UWinnipeg is launching an initiative to indicate Course Sections with zero required textbook costs in the 2022/2023 Course Calendar.

To meet the requirements for inclusion, a Course Section must have zero required additional costs for textbooks or required readings. To meet this definition, a course may use:

• Open Textbook. Have a required textbook that is an Open Textbook with zero cost to students to access. These books may have a fee associated with printing a paper copy, but digital copies are free and Open. You can share them with students via links, or even embed them directly in Nexus courses.
• Library Readings. Have assigned readings that are available through the Library, on Print or Electronic Course Reserve. You can always link directly to Library resources, and students can access them without charge. In addition, you can place entire works on Print Reserve, or for works we do not have digitally in the Library, post a percentage in line with our Fair Dealing Guidelines in Ares/ Nexus. Contact the Library Syllabus Service if you have readings you wish to check.
• Publicly Available Readings. Have assigned readings that are freely available on the internet from legal and authorized sources. This means sites that you do not suspect of copyright piracy. Sites hosting unauthorized materials are subject to takedown requests and the materials can vanish at any time.
• Have any mix of the above, no required textbook, or other innovative solutions to reduce textbook costs to students for your course to zero. Remember that is ancillary material is required (for assignments, quizzes, etc) that those costs count as textbook costs.

Additional supports for finding zero cost materials can be found throughout the rest of this guide, or by contacting the UWinnipeg Copyright Office.

If you have a course you would like included on the 2022/23 list, please contact Colin Russell, the University Registrar, by July 15.

Zero Textbook Cost Course Sections still have regular tuition requirements. Note that for a given course, different Sections may have different textbook costs.

These courses will be indicated in the 2022/23 Course Calendar in the "Notes" field for a given section (image to follow).

A list of the Course Sections with Zero Textbook Costs is maintained buy UWSA.