TCC Policy – Use of Open Educational Resources

TCC Policy – Use of Open Educational Resources

The Tarrant County College (TCC) system embraces a progressive educational approach by integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) into its instructional framework. The TCC policy on the use of OER aims to improve student access, reduce costs, and enhance teaching innovation across campuses. By adopting these open materials, TCC ensures that quality education is affordable and equitable for all students.

Purpose and Goals of TCC’s OER Policy

At its core, TCC’s OER policy supports the institutional mission of academic excellence and accessibility. The policy encourages faculty to adopt, adapt, or develop open resources for use in their courses. These materials, which can include textbooks, videos, quizzes, and interactive tools, are either in the public domain or openly licensed for free use and modification.

One of the primary goals is to lower the financial burden on students. Textbook costs are a major barrier to course completion. By replacing commercial textbooks with free OER, TCC is working to eliminate this obstacle. Moreover, the policy aligns with statewide initiatives and national efforts to make higher education more inclusive and digitally adaptable.

Implementation and Faculty Responsibility

TCC provides training, resources, and technical support to help faculty integrate OER into their curriculum. The institution’s Learning Technology department collaborates with instructors to identify high-quality open content and ensure compliance with copyright and licensing requirements. Faculty are encouraged to:

  • Use Creative Commons-licensed materials
  • Adapt existing OER for local relevance
  • Share newly created OER with the educational community

Faculty using OER are also expected to clearly indicate the materials on course syllabi and learning platforms to ensure transparency for students.

Conclusion

The TCC policy on the use of Open Educational Resources demonstrates a strong commitment to affordability, academic freedom, and innovation. By championing open access and supporting faculty in this transition, TCC is reshaping how community college students experience learning. As OER adoption grows, students benefit not only from cost savings but also from dynamic, adaptable course content.

For more on OER and how it’s changing education at community colleges, visit TCC’s official OER page.