In Spring 2025, UFV was selected as one of the three institutions to receive an Open Educational Institutional Grant from BCcampus, valued at $33,000. The proposal also included additional funding for projects (i.e. Open Education Student Assistant and Open Education Microgrant Program) from the Office of the Provost and Vice President, Academic. The culmination of these funds will support various projects grouped together as UFV's Open Education In-Action Initiative, 2025-2026 which will be managed by UFV Library and Teaching and Learning departments.
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The Open Education In-Action Initiative will support Open Education Strategist (open to internal Type B Teaching Faculty) and two Open Education Student Assistant positions who will help development an open education strategy for UFV. This strategy will include the launch of ZTC courses and programs and that meets the university's vision, mission, and values as well as goals of Íyáqáwtxw and the SEM plan which will build on existing projects and efforts to promote and advocate for open education at UFV.
Open Education In-Action Initiative projects for 2025-2026 (see details below):
For more information or questions about the program, please send a message to Janelle Sztuhar or Claire Hay at openeducation@ufv.ca
The Open Education In-Action Initiative will support an Open Education Strategist (open to internal Type B Teaching Faculty) from Sept. 1, 2025 to Apr. 30, 2026. Their responsibilities will include:
The Open Education In-Action Initiative will also include two Open Education Student Assistant positions, one in each of the Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 semesters. The student assistants will work closely with the Open Education Strategist to build open education awareness among students and bring a student lens to the work developing a UFV-wide open education strategy. One Student Assistant position will be funded through the BCcampus OE Institutional Grant while the second position will be funded through the Office of the Provost and Vice President, Academic.
The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Open Education Micro Grant Program (OEMGP) will support 6 short-term projects (Sept. 1, 2025 to Mar. 15, 2026) to create, develop or modify open education resources to be used in UFV courses as well as similar courses elsewhere. The OEMGP will provide funding for Open Education Student Assistants to help faculty/staff supervisors with their projects. Funding for these projects will be managed by the Library and provided by the Office of the Provost and Vice President, Academic. See the 2025-2026 projects below (which we will launch and celebrate during Open Education Week in March 2026, stay tuned for event updates for this):
Check out our video below to hear about faculty and student experiences from the OEMGP 2024-2025!
One of the projects for the Open Education Strategists will be to meet with members of the UFV community to create an Open Education Strategy for the university. This document will ensure open education is a priority and that supports are formally acknowledged and built into workflows. See our timeline below:
Check back here for updates and a link to the strategy once complete!
In Fall 2025, UFV launched a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) initiative which includes a marking/designation under the "Browse Classes" feature so that students know at the time of registration if a course section does not require the purchase of a textbook. Faculty can learn more about how to make their course ZTC below.
What is Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)?
ZTC means that students do not have to purchase textbook(s) or required reading content for a course. Thinking about making your course ZTC? This can be achieved by using OER, library resources, instructor created resources, and other free online resources.
ZTC does not apply to other course costs such as supplies. A course can be considered ZTC even if supplies are required to be purchased by the student for the course such as lab coat, lab kit, calculator, or art equipment.
What can I do if I cannot make my course ZTC at this time?
We understand that not all courses can be designated ZTC for a variety of reasons. Here are some things you can do:
The UFV Library is allocating funds from its 2025-2026 acquisition budget towards monograph purchases that directly support ZTC course transition at UFV. Since traditionally published content will remain integral to education practices for the foreseeable future, it is important to lower costs for students wherever possible by leveraging the use of existing and future Library resources. To be considered for purchase, the monograph must be available in an eBook format with multiple simultaneous user access, preferably DRM-free. Textbooks will not be considered. Priority will be given to the most impactful purchases as determined by information such as course enrollment numbers, frequency of course offerings, and cost of resources that will be replaced.
ZTC requests can be submitted via the following online form:
or email martin.warkentin@ufv.ca
Alternatively, many course readings may already be available through the Library. Faculty can submit their reading lists and/or syllabi to the Course Resources Service:
