Organizational Change Project

Improving Open Education Resource Adoption at Florida State University Name Institution Instructor Course Due Date Abstract Florida State University (FSU) has made significant progress towards Open Educational Resources (OER) adoption. However, these efforts remain heavily fragmented as they are reliant on one-time grants and isolated champions. To ensure long-term sustainability and widespread adoption, this paper proposes institutionalizing OER collaboration through formalized cross-functional teams, curriculum integration, and policy alignment. Drawing on Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model and Lewin’s Change Management Theory, the initiative will involve a phased strategic plan to embed OER practices into the university’s instructional and administrative infrastructure. The goal of the initiative is to transition from successful but limited OER programs to a durable, university-wide ecosystem that positions collaboration at the center of course design and academic planning. The change will align with FSU’s strategic priorities of innovation, access, and academic excellence while empowering faculty and reducing costs for students. Improving Open Education Resource Adoption at Florida State University Based in Tallahassee, Florida State University (FSU) is a learning and research institution chartered in 1851. The institution is renowned for its commitment to innovation and affordable education. FSU is among the universities that have made significant efforts in promoting Open Educational Resources (OER), primarily through the Alternative Textbook Grant (ATG) program, library-led workshops, and departmental adoption of OpenStax materials in high-enrollment STEM courses (Soper, Wharton, & Phillips, 2018). However, FSU’s current OER adoption strategy remains fragmented. Librarians, instructional designers, and faculty often operate in silos, and there is no centralized structure to ensure continuity, scale, or sustainability of OER adoption. The proposed change initiative is based on the view that the next phase of progress in OER adoption requires systemic integration. Through structured collaboration and organizational change, FSU can transition from successful individual initiatives to a coordinated OER adoption strategy that aligns with its broader academic mission. Organizational Context FSU is a part of the State University System of Florida and has more than 44,000 undergraduate and graduate learners. It is made up of 16 academic colleges and offers over 275 programs. FSU faculty is deeply engaged in research, teaching, and public service and prides itself on delivering academic excellence while maintaining accessibility and affordability. Over the past several years, the institution has made targeted investments in open education, with a key focus on OER materials. According to Ramsingh (2021), open educational resources is a term used to describe the learning and teaching resources that one can acquire at a minimal cost. OER is considered as one of the pathways through which higher education institutions can lower the rising cost of education in the United States. In view of this, Florida enacted a statute requiring universities under its system to take proactive measures to ensure affordability of learning and teaching materials (Ramsingh, 2021). OER has been singled out as one of vital components for higher education institutions keen to lower costs of learning. Consequently, FSU has made notable progress in OER adoption through several programs. The ATG program, administered by FSU Libraries, has provided dozens of faculty members with funding to adopt, adapt, or create OER materials (Soper, Wharton, & Phillips, 2018). Additionally, faculty in departments, such as Chemistry and Physics have led large-scale adoptions of OpenStax textbooks by developing courses that solely rely on OER. The university’s participation in the Open Textbook Network (OTN) has further bolstered faculty engagement and awareness of OER best practices (Soper, Wharton, & Phillips, 2018). Despite these accomplishments, FSU’s OER strategy remains disjointed and there is a need for a shift from isolated initiatives to a unified, institutionally embedded strategy that places OER collaboration at the heart of curriculum development and pedagogical planning. Diagnosis of the Change Need The adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) offers a host of compelling benefits for universities like FSU. By replacing expensive commercial textbooks with free, openly licensed materials, the university can dramatically lower the financial burden on students. Cozart, Horan and Frome (2021) observe that lowered financial burden on students is directly linked to improved retention, course completion, and academic performance. Beyond affordability, OER encourages faculty to customize and update course content, supporting more inclusive, discipline-specific, and current instruction. It also fosters collaboration between faculty, librarians, and instructional designers, creating interdisciplinary teams that enhance the quality and coherence of course design (Mullens & Hoffman, 2023). For universities like Florida State University (FSU), the strong engagement with OER through faculty grants and departmental adoptions has led to millions in student savings. Although FSU’s engagement with OER has led to quantifiable benefits, the university’s approach remains primarily initiative-based and lacks structural integration. ATG program has shown that financial incentives can spark interest in learning, while departmental adoption in high-enrollment courses has proved the cost-saving potential of OER. However, most faculty engagement remains voluntary, with efforts concentrated among a relatively small cohort of instructors. Additionally, librarians and instructional designers are often brought into the process late or inconsistently, limiting their ability to provide proactive support (Swain & Pathak, 2024). As a result, OER projects frequently operate in silos, with minimal coordination across academic units. Further, the university lacks an established process for ensuring that OER is considered during curriculum design, course approval, or program review. The omission perpetuates a situation where commercial textbooks remain the default learning and instructional material as the instructors are not fully aware of the potential of OER. Faculty contributions to OER are not consistently recognized in promotion and ten...