UFV has supported OER initiatives through various funding programs, notably (please visit the guides listed below for more information about the programs as well as successfully completed projects):
Staff from UFV Library (Martin Warkentin & Janelle Sztuhar) and Teaching and Learning (Claire Hay) work together to provide behind the scenes support and administration for OER activities. Contact openeducation@ufv.ca for any questions.
Have you ever wondered what UFV faculty and students think about the value of adopting or creating OER?
“We realize that creating an entirely new bank of chapter questions is a rather large task, so we view this project as just the beginning of a larger goal of being able to provide our students with cost-free course resources for PHYS 111 and 112. As the saying goes: “every journey begins with a first step”, and this project was our fist step.” - Jeff Chizma (FATS Micro Grant 2024 Project Lead)
“The proposed guide for professionals, tentatively titled: Trauma-informed conversations about mental health issues related to extreme weather and climate events, will be published in an open-source format in 2025. The results of the project, including the case studies, will be shared with the School of Social Work & Human Services and offered for inclusion in courses across the curriculum; this will be an important step in addressing the new CASWE accreditation requirements.”- Leah Douglas (FECHD Micro Grant 2024 Project Lead)
"I learned how to edit a textbook, how to use different softwares, and I learned about the importance of EDI/how it can be incorporated throughout the textbook… Another great thing was being able to reflect on my own student experience thus far and finding ways to incorporate some elements that improved my past textbook reading experiences into this textbook." - Komal Dhaliwhal (Health Sciences OEMGP 2024 Student Assistant)
The Open Education Working Group is a gathering of UFV students, faculty, and staff who are interested in advancing open practices at UFV. It is a dedicated time and space for people to come together to brainstorm ideas, hear updates, and plan for future projects. Past topics for discussion have included:
Everyone is welcome and meetings are held via Zoom. Please contact openeducation@ufv.ca for more information.
For the past three years, Claire and Janelle have supervised a work study position to support them in the administration of OER activities. Students have assisted with:
We are so grateful to the students who have worked with us so far. Interested students can apply to future positions through CareerLink.
Sztuhar, J., Hay, C., & McDougall, A. (2023, Mar 1). Harnessing the Power of Students in Open Education at the University of the Fraser Valley [Lightning Talk]. Open Education Talks, 2023.
UFV representatives (Janelle, Claire, and Ashley) gave a lightning talk presentation on March 1st, 2023 on working with students to support OER culture on campus.
Open Education Week 2024 - OER Sprint @UFV
As part of Open Education Week 2024, representatives from the UFV Library (Janelle Sztuhar and Martin Warkentin) and the Teaching and Learning Centre (Claire Hay) hosted an Open Education Resource Review Sprint on the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses on March 7th. In this quick paced, community driven workshop, UFV faculty were invited to learn about open education, and find and evaluate Open Educational Resources to use in their courses. This event was supported by a grant from BC Campus.
Open Education Week 2025
We are hosting a variety of events including: student information booths co-hosted with UFV SUS, faculty Workshop - Intro to OER, and UFV OER Showcase & Celebration. For more information on these events, check out the UFV Library events calendar!
Sztuhar, J., & Hay, C. (2025, Mar 17). Involving Students in OER Development at University of the Fraser Valley [Lightning Talk]. Open Education Talks, 2025.