SDCC Library: Exploring Textbook Alternatives at SDCC Library: Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)

ZTC Funding (Local)

Website: Community Online ZTC Project

SDCCD received a Community Project grant that will provide funding and support for SDCCD faculty to create and improve instructional materials with Open Educational Resources (OER), resulting in online Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) courses. Support for the project is provided with funding for faculty, instructional designers, contractors, and an OER specialist.

For questions, please email Brian Weston, Dean, Online & Distributed Learning, at bweston@sdccd.edu

ZTC Funding (State of CA)

Overview of the Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree (ZTC) Grant Program:

Full version of the program available in the Education Code Sections 78050-78052

Background:

The 2021 Budget Act appropriated $115 million in one-time funding to the California Community Colleges for the Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant (ZTC) program. The program intends to develop and implement ZTC degrees and prioritize Open Educational Resources (OER) as a strategy to “reduce the overall cost of education for students and decrease the time it takes students to complete degree programs offered by community colleges.” The legislation requires that the Chancellor’s Office ensure grants result in the greatest number of degrees to benefit the greatest number of students while avoiding duplication of degrees or OER materials. The legislation also identifies additional specific requirements relating to program prioritization, sustainability, content adaptability, location for content curation, implementation approach, implementation period, and reporting of required data.

ZTC Planning and Implementation Grants:

Every college received a $20,000 Planning Grant (formally called Phase 1) in July 2022 and a $180,000 Implementation Grant (formally called Phase 3) in March 2023.

ZTC Acceleration Grants and ZTC Acceleration Program Plan:

The Chancellor’s Office will distribute the balance of program development funding, totaling $88.55 million, in the form of ZTC Acceleration Grants. The ZTC Acceleration Grant phase provides funding of up to $200K for each degree developed and implemented. The Chancellor’s Office released the ZTC Acceleration Grant Program Plan (“Program Plan”) on August 15, 2023, in NOVA. All colleges interested in developing and implementing ZTC programs by Fall 2026 are strongly encouraged to apply for the Acceleration Grant by submitting their program plan by September 15, 2023.

Program Reporting
The ZTC program will result in over 550 ZTC degree/certificate pathways developed and/or implemented by Fall 2026 to reduce the cost of education and shorten completion time for our students in support of the Vision 2030 framework. The Chancellor’s Office is required to submit a legislative report by June 30, 2027, which includes the number of degrees developed and implemented; number of OER developed and curated; estimated annual savings to students; number of students who completed a ZTC program and accessed OER; and recommendations to increase, expand, or improve the offering of degrees and the use of OER.

CCCCO: Zero Textbook Cost Program -- Additional Updates and Acceleration Grants (Aug 2023)
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO): "This memo provides additional program updates, including details related to the upcoming ZTC Acceleration Grants (formerly called Phase 2), and key program deliverables and deadlines."
CCCCO: Zero Textbook Cost Program Updates (Feb 2023)
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO): "This memo provides (1) updated ZTC grant program information that supersedes information provided in the previous memo; (2) system level resources to support the implementation of the ZTC grant program; and (3) Burden-free instructional materials taskforce updates."
CCCCO: Zero Textbook Cost Program -- Overview & Guidance (July 2022)
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO): "This memo provides (1) brief background information about the program and (2) an overview of the Chancellor’s Office’s multi-pronged approach to ensure the program’s alignment with the Vision for Success and (3) identifies resources that may prove helpful for colleges."
ASCCC: The Zero Textbook Cost Program: An Update (Feb 2023)
Outlines Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) concerns with ZTC funding. "Despite the stated concerns about timelines, lack of specifics, and failure to seek input from the field, the ASCCC and the OERI will continue to advocate for its effective implementation, focusing on sustainability, maximizing impact, and meeting the needs of both faculty and students."

For questions, please email Brian Weston, Dean, Online & Distributed Learning, at bweston@sdccd.edu

ZTC Promotion: AAC&U OER Institute

City, Mesa, and Miramar were accepted into the AAC&U Institute on OER as a District-wide endeavor to promote OER engagement and adoption. The City College lead for this initiative is Melanie Nakaji (mnakaji@sdccd.edu).

AAC&U 2023-24 Institute on Open Educational Resources
American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): "The Institute on OER provides a year-long, online engagement opportunity for teams from campuses or state systems seeking to actualize an ambitious strategy to broaden campus engagement with and adoption of OER. This new model directly engages the OER Institute teams for a year via virtual events, consultations, mentorship, and cross-institutional interactions as participants’ OER implementation and acceleration plans are put into practice."